Which Age Groups Actually Vote in U.S. Midterms?

Who Actually Shows Up to Vote?

Key Takeaways

• Voter turnout in the 2022 midterms ranged from 27.6% among Americans ages 18–24 to 68.0% among those ages 65–74.

• Americans under 45 were underrepresented among voters, while every age group 45 and older was overrepresented.

• Gen Z turned out at a higher rate in its first midterm than Millennials or Gen X did at the same age.

Who can vote in a U.S. midterm election and who actually shows up are two very different groups.

In 2022, Americans under 45 made up 44.2% of the citizen voting-age population, but just 33.8% of reported voters. Meanwhile, Americans 45 and older accounted for 55.8% of eligible citizens but 66.3% of those who voted.

The data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, using the most recent completed midterm election, in 2022. It shows how turnout reshapes the age profile of the electorate before votes for individual candidates are considered.

The Midterm Electorate Gets Older at the Ballot Box

The biggest gap was among the youngest voters. Americans ages 18–24 represented 11.5% of eligible citizens in 2022, but only 6.1% of reported voters.

The pattern flips among older Americans. Those ages 65–74 represented 14.1% of eligible citizens but 18.4% of voters, while Americans 75 and older increased from 9.7% to 12.1%.

Age bracketShare of eligible population (CVAP)Share of votersTurnout rate

18-2411.5%6.1%27.6%

25-4432.7%27.7%44.3%

45-6432.1%35.8%58.3%

65-7414.1%18.4%68.0%

75+9.7%12.1%65.2%

Eligible population refers to the citizen voting-age population (CVAP), which excludes minors and non-citizens. Figures are based on reported voting in the November 2022 midterm elections.

Turnout Nearly Doubles Between the Youngest and Oldest Groups

Turnout explains much of this shift. Voter turnout was 27.6% among Americans ages 18–24 in 2022, compared with 44.3% among those ages 25–44 and 58.3% among those ages 45–64.

Turnout peaked at 68.0% among Americans ages 65–74 before dipping slightly to 65.2% among those 75 and older.

Older voters also tend to be more engaged with midterm elections. Ahead of the 2022 election, Pew Research Center found that 50% of registered voters ages 65 and older had given the election “a lot” of thought, compared with just 20% of those under 30.

Age Can Change the Political Makeup of the Electorate

Turnout by age can also affect the composition of the electorate because voting preferences differ substantially across age groups.

In a separate analysis of validated voters in the 2022 midterms, Pew Research Center found that 68% of voters under 30 supported Democratic House candidates, compared with 31% who supported Republicans. Among voters 65 and older, 56% supported Republican candidates and 42% supported Democrats.

These differences also reflect broader generational divides in U.S. politics. There are varying degrees of political affiliation across generations, from Gen Z to the Silent Generation.

Gen Z Is Voting More Than Previous Generations Did at Their Age

Despite the age gap in turnout, today’s youngest voters were more engaged in their first midterm than Millennials and Gen X were at the same stage.

The 2022 election was the first midterm in which Gen Z made up the entire 18–24 age group. CIRCLE found that 28.4% of Gen Z voters in this age group turned out, compared with 23.0% of Millennials in 2006 and 23.5% of Gen X in 1990, when each generation first fully occupied the same age bracket.

In other words, low youth turnout is not unique to Gen Z. Americans in their late teens and early 20s still vote at much lower rates than older adults, but Gen Z participated more in its first midterm than Millennials or Gen X did at the same age.

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Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/midterm-voter-turnout-by-age/