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Voter Participation (Average) - Female
Voter Participation (Average) - Female in United States
United States

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United States Value:

61.7%

Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections

Voter Participation (Average) - Female in depth:

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Voter Participation (Average) - Female by State

Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections




Voter Participation (Average) - Female Trends

Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections

Trend: Voter Participation (Average) - Female in United States, 2022 Health Of Women And Children Report

Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections

United States
Source:

 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Voting and Registration Supplement

View All Populations

Voter Participation (Average) - Female

Trend: Voter Participation (Average) - Female in United States, 2022 Health Of Women And Children Report

Average of the percentage of female U.S. citizens ages 18 and older who voted in the last presidential and national midterm elections

United States
Source:

 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Voting and Registration Supplement


About Voter Participation (Average) - Female

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:

  • Non-Hispanic white adults compared with non-Hispanic Black, Asian and Hispanic adults. A recent study found that strict photo identification laws negatively impact the turnout of Hispanic, Black and mixed-race citizens.
  • Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with those with less than a bachelor’s degree.

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/.

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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.