Even More Graphs!
Based on James' comment to the previous post I have created three new graphs.
The first is the same as my original graph but with the total voter turnout percentage added as a fourth data set. As James requested. What's interesting here is the decline in voter interest after the 1968 election. Coinciding with the third party Wallace losing rather badly to Nixon and Humphrey. Interest seemed to level off until the Perot affect in 1992 only to drop again in 1996 and 2000. Perhaps voters are truly turned off by the lack of a viable third party to contend on a regular basis and need something as drastic as the G. W. Bush Administration to come running back to the booths as evident in '04 and '08. Obama may carry voting rates above recent historical rates in 2012 but I wouldn't be surprised to see voter turnout drop to the high 40% - low 50% range either then or subsequently.
The second is simply comparing total eligible voters vs actual voters per year.
The third, and perhaps more revealing graph, is the % change in total eligible voters vs actual voters from year to year. Any instance of data above 0.0% base line indicates growth while data below 0.0% indicates retraction. As a result 1980 and 1988 are notable for seeing growth in available voters while experiencing a decline in the actual number of participating voters. Preliminary reports for 2008 are just the opposite. Eligible voters declined but actual voters increased proving interest was indeed high this year.
More to the point: any year in which % change in actual voters was higher then % change in eligible voters (as 2008 was) seems to indicate an increased level of interest such as 1984 (Reagan 2.0), 1992 (Clinton 1.0), and 2000-2004 (Bush 1.0 and 2.0).
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