Voter Turnout

In the 2022 midterms, voter turnout fell in 11 of 12 southern states. In MS and TN, less than ⅓ of the voting-eligible population cast a ballot.

Voter turnout as a percent of the voting-eligible population (VEP)

2022 midterm elections

Source: U.S. Elections Project. Notes: Turnout rates are calculated as total ballots counted divided by the voting-eligible population (VEP).

The 2022 midterm election saw voter turnout rates drop in 42 states compared to the 2018 midterms, and nationwide turnout fell below 47%. In the South, every state but Arkansas had lower participation. While presidential election years always garner larger voter turnout than midterm years, record high turnout in the 2020 election demonstrated pandemic-related challenges to voting could be overcome.¹ Yet, many temporary provisions made to make voting easier for the 2020 election — such as expanding access to mail-in voting, establishing ballot drop-boxes, or increasing the availability of early voting — have been rolled back in numerous states. In addition, since 2020, 20 states enacted restrictive voting laws that were in effect for the 2022 midterm election, including 8 Southern states.²

One study found that, as of 2022, Southern states rank among the most difficult to vote, with South Carolina (43rd), Alabama (45th), Arkansas (48th), and Mississippi (49th) having some of the highest barriers to voting access.³ Mississipians face the second highest personal cost in the country in terms of the time and effort required to cast a ballot, and in both Mississippi and Tennessee, less than 1 out of 3 eligible voters cast a ballot. However, in Georgia, where a slate of restrictive voting provisions were passed in 2021, voter turnout reached 52.6% — 6 percentage points above the national average.⁴

1. “2020 Presidential Election Voting and Registration Tables Now Available”. U.S. Census Bureau. April, 2021. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/2020-presidential-election-voting-and-registration-tables-now-available.html#:~:text=APRIL%2029%2C%202021%20%E2%80%94%20The%202020,by%20the%20U.S.%20Census%20Bureau.

2. “Voting Laws Roundup: October 2022”. Brennan Center for Justice. October, 2022. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-october-2022 

3. “Cost of Voting Index”. https://costofvotingindex.com/

4. “What Does Georgie’s New Voting Law SB 202 Do?” Fowler. GPB News. March, 2021. https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/03/27/what-does-georgias-new-voting-law-sb-202-do