Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos has announced that Vermont has been ranked 11th in total voter turnout for the 2018 Midterm Election across all 50 states in the 7th biennial edition of the “America Goes to the Polls” report, released by the nonpartisan groups Nonprofit VOTE and the U.S. Elections Project this week.
“Voting is the bedrock of our democracy,” said Secretary Condos. “When we all vote we achieve fairer representation and better policy outcomes – your vote is your voice!”
The report found that the national voter turnout average was 50.3%, which is the highest recorded voter turnout for a midterm election since 1914. Vermont’s voter turnout was 55.9%.
The report included key findings that among states with the highest turnout, common factors include same-day voter registration (enacted 2017), automatic voter registration (2017), long voter registration periods, and strong vote by mail programs. All of these policies have been enacted in Vermont.
Vermont has shown continuous improvement over the years:
· 2018 11th
· 2016 17th
· 2014 28th
· 2012 22nd
“I’m proud of the many Vermonters who came out to the polls or who voted early in 2018, placing Vermont so high in the national ranking,” said Secretary Condos. “It’s clear our policies are working. I will keep pushing to tear down barriers for eligible voters. I want to increase voter access, encourage civic participation, and get our voter turnout numbers even higher. I hope that other states will do the same.”
Vermont’s election administration performance was ranked 1st in the country on the Election Performance Index after the 2016 General Election, completed by MIT’s Election Data and Science Lab.
Vermont also was ranked #1 nationally in the Electoral Integrity Project after the 2016 General Election.