Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
How to use this page
United States Value:
Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections
Additional Measures:
Explore Population Data:
Appears In:
Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections
Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections
Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Voting and Registration Supplement
Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Voting and Registration Supplement
US Value: 61.7%
Top State(s): Minnesota: 72.1%
Bottom State(s): Arkansas: 49.8%
Definition: Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections
Data Source and Years: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Voting and Registration Supplement, 2018/2020
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Voting and Registration Supplement, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.
Voting is a form of active social engagement, which is associated with better health and health outcomes. Furthermore, election outcomes affect many aspects of life, including individual wealth, rights, education, social services programs and health care access and quality.
Women gained the right to vote a century ago after decades of relentless work by suffragists and, since 1980, have consistently voted at significantly higher rates than men. There is evidence that women vote differently from men, focusing on systemic issues such as funding for child welfare and public health.
Although voter turnout has increased steadily over the last several decades, disparities continue to exist among certain groups of women. The prevalence of voter turnout was higher among:
People without disabilities compared with those with disabilities.
Strategies can be implemented at multiple levels to increase voter participation in the United States, such as removing barriers by simplifying voter registration processes, improving accessibility and targeting underrepresented populations like high school and college students.
Healthy People 2030 identifies civic participation as a key issue in the Social and Community Context domain and has a goal of increasing the proportion of the voting-age population who vote.
Abbott, Stephen. 2010. “Social Capital and Health: The Role of Participation.” Social Theory & Health 8 (February): 51–65. https://doi.org/10.1057/sth.2009.19.
Hajnal, Zoltan, Nazita Lajevardi, and Lindsay Nielson. 2017. “Voter Identification Laws and the Suppression of Minority Votes.” The Journal of Politics 79 (2): 363–79. https://doi.org/10.1086/688343.
Kim, Saerom, Chang-yup Kim, and Myung Soon You. 2015. “Civic Participation and Self-Rated Health: A Cross-National Multi-Level Analysis Using the World Value Survey.” Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health 48 (1): 18–27. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.14.031.
Miller, Grant. 2008. “Women’s Suffrage, Political Responsiveness, and Child Survival in American History.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 123 (3): 1287–1327. https://doi.org/10.1162/qjec.2008.123.3.1287.
Schur, Lisa, Meera Adya, and Mason Ameri. 2015. “Accessible Democracy: Reducing Voting Obstacles for People with Disabilities.” Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy 14 (1): 60–65. https://doi.org/10.1089/elj.2014.0269.
Solomon, Danyelle, and Connor Maxwell. 2019. “Women of Color: A Collective Powerhouse in the U.S. Electorate.” Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/women-color-collective-powerhouse-u-s-electorate/.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.