REGISTRATION, TURNOUT, AND THE ELECTORAL REPRESENTATIVENESS OF US STATE ELECTORATES

This study examines state-level political participation in an analysis that integrates registration, turnout and the representativeness of U .S. state electorates. The authors use data aggregated from the 1984 a nd 1986 November Current Population Surveys to obtain estimates of ove rall and group registration and turnout across the states. Results ind icate that long-term political factors, such as party elite ideology a nd the restrictiveness of registration requirements, are the principal determinants of state registration levels. Liberal party elites and l enient registration requirements are especially critical to the regist ration of the poor and the less educated. Subsequently, a greater leve l of registration translates into heavier turnout both for the overall state electorate and for various demographic groups within this elect orate. Greater turnout, in turn, produces a more representative active electorate.