N.Y.'s Voter Turnout Among Lowest in Nation

New York State has some of the lowest voter turnout numbers in America, according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report says only 37.6% of registered New York voters came out to the polls for the 2006 congressional election, the seventh-worst voter turnout percentage in America. The national average for voter turnout was more than 43%.

White non-Hispanics had the highest turnout in New York, with 45% casting votes in 2006.

The 2006 numbers show a steep decline from the more than 53% of registered New Yorkers who voted in the 2004 elections. In the 2002 congressional elections, 38% of registered New York voters cast votes at the polls.

In addition, the report says more than 64% of eligible New Yorkers are registered to vote, lower than the 68% national average for voter registration.

New Jersey, Utah, West Virginia, North Carolina, Nevada, and Texas were the only states with a lower voter turnout in 2006.