CSAE On '08: Highest Election Turnout Since '60

Voter turnout in 37 states and Washington, D.C., increased this year over 2004, and the Democratic party scored sizeable gains in every region of the nation, according to a study released today by American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate.

Highlights:

-- In total, more than 131M Americans voted for president in 2008, 9M more than cast their ballots last cycle.

-- Turnout records were set in AL, CO, DC, FL, GA NC, SC, TX and VA.

-- Sixty-three percent of eligible voters cast ballots, a 2.4 percentage point increase over 2004, and the highest percentage to turn out since 64.8 percent voted in the 1960 presidential election contest.

-- This year marked the third highest turnout since women were given the right to vote in 1920.

-- Republican turnout declined in 44 states and DC and increased marginally in just six states. Overall, Dems had a 6.6-point turnout advantage. Last cycle, the GOP had a 1.8-point edge.

-- Interestingly, of the 12 states that saw turnout decline in 2008, 10 had some form of early, mail or absentee voting or day of registration. The states with the largest decreases in turnout were ME (-3.6 percentage points, election day registration), WV (-3.5, early voting), OR (-2.8, mail voting), WI (-2.5, election day registration) and SD (-2.4, no-excuse absentee balloting).

-- Conversely, of the 13 states that had the greatest increases in turnout, seven had no form of early, mail or absentee voting or same-day registration.

-- Democrats grew their advantages in regions where they have been strong in recent contests and narrowed the gap where they have trailed. In the west, for example, Democrats had a 14-point edge this year; they led by 6 points in 2004. In the industrial Midwest, the Dems had an approximately 7-point advantage this year, while in 2004, the GOP had a 1.5-point edge.

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(JENNIFER SKALKA)