Political engagement varies across US ahead of close presidential race

Dan Seiffert SVP, Accounting | realtors.com

The presidential election is approaching, with the race between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remaining tight. Voter turnout could be crucial, yet historical data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that only 66.8% of eligible voters participated in the last presidential election.

WalletHub has conducted a study to identify the most and least politically engaged states based on factors like voter registration, past turnout, and political contributions. Maryland tops the list as the most politically engaged state due to its accessible voting processes, including preregistration for young voters and multiple voting options such as early voting and same-day registration.

The top ten states for political engagement are:

1. Maryland: 73.35

2. Virginia: 72.58

3. New Jersey: 69.14

4. Oregon: 68.97

5. Washington: 66.44

6. Montana: 63.89

7. Minnesota: 62.88

8. California: 61.10

9. Arizona: 60.19

10. New York: 59.51

In contrast, some states show low political engagement scores:

41-50 include Louisiana (36.89), Mississippi (35.90), South Dakota (34.02), Nebraska (33.89), South Carolina (30.62), Indiana (28.98), Oklahoma (27.26), West Virginia (27 .23), Alabama (26 .30) , and Arkansas at the bottom with a score of just 15 .42 .

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo comments, “You might expect the most politically engaged states to be contentious swing states where votes matter most, but in actuality, they are states that are solid blue or lean blue—Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey.” Among swing states, only Arizona and Minnesota appear in the top ten.

Realtor.com® reports indicate moving patterns over recent years may influence election outcomes by showing which states attract more red or blue home shoppers based on online traffic data from January 2021 through September 2024.

Voter registration trends reveal Nevada had one of the lowest percentages of registered voters during the last presidential election cycle along with Arkansas—a trend seen also in Oklahoma and West Virginia among others with low engagement scores.

Conversely ,states like New Jersey ,Minnesota ,Mississippi ,Oregon,and Maryland had high voter registration rates during previous elections.

USA Today reports an increase in voter registrations recently—especially among young adults—with National Voter Registration Day setting new records through Vote.org's platform.