The smallest subsection when calculating voter turnout is which of the following?

The smallest subsection when calculating voter turnout is which of the following?

• A. Eligible voters
• B. Registered voters
• C. Voting-age citizens
• D. Population of the district

Answer: (B)

Voter turnout is the share of people who vote relative to those who could vote. In most analyses, the calculation uses the number of registered voters as the denominator, because you must be registered to cast a ballot in typical elections. Registered voters are a smaller group than the total of voting-age citizens or the entire population of the district, since many eligible people aren’t registered. So among the given options, the smallest subsection used to calculate turnout is the number of registered voters. (Note that some measures report turnout relative to all eligible voters, but the smaller, commonly cited denominator is registered voters.)

Voter turnout is the share of people who vote relative to those who could vote. In most analyses, the calculation uses the number of registered voters as the denominator, because you must be registered to cast a ballot in typical elections. Registered voters are a smaller group than the total of voting-age citizens or the entire population of the district, since many eligible people aren’t registered. So among the given options, the smallest subsection used to calculate turnout is the number of registered voters. (Note that some measures report turnout relative to all eligible voters, but the smaller, commonly cited denominator is registered voters.)