Voter Turnout in Different Types of Elections
| State | Republican Primary | General Election |
|------------|--------------------|-----------------|
| Florida | 12.8% | 63.5% |
| Michigan | 16.5% | 64.7% |
| New York | 1.4% | 53.1% |
| California | 22.9% | 55.2% |
| Texas | 12.8% | 49.7% |
Source: United States Elections Project, George Mason University
Which conclusion does the data in the chart support?
A. Voters are more likely to participate in a presidential election than a primary.
B. Voters are more likely to participate in a primary than in a presidential election.
C. California has more Republicans than New York.
D. Texas and Florida have a similar number of Republican voters.
Answer (2)
The data indicates that voter turnout in general elections is consistently higher than in Republican primaries across the states analyzed. This suggests that voters are more likely to participate in a general election than in a primary. Therefore, the conclusion supported by the data is that voters are more likely to participate in a presidential election than in a primary.
;
General election turnout is higher than Republican primary turnout in all listed states.
The data supports that voters are more likely to participate in a general election than a primary.
The data does not provide information about the total number of Republican voters in each state.
Therefore, the conclusion is that voters are more likely to participate in a general election than a primary. V o t ers a re m ore l ik e l y t o p a r t i c i p a t e ina p res i d e n t ia l e l ec t i o n t hana p r ima ry .
Explanation
Analyze the problem We are given a table that shows the voter turnout percentages in Republican primaries and general elections for five states. We need to determine which conclusion is supported by the data.
Compare voter turnout Let's compare the voter turnout percentages in the Republican primary and general election for each state:
Florida: Primary 12.8%, General 63.5%
Michigan: Primary 16.5%, General 64.7%
New York: Primary 1.4%, General 53.1%
California: Primary 22.9%, General 55.2%
Texas: Primary 12.8%, General 49.7%
Determine the correct conclusion In each state, the voter turnout in the general election is significantly higher than the voter turnout in the Republican primary. This supports the conclusion that voters are more likely to participate in a general election than a primary.
Eliminate incorrect conclusions The data does not provide information about the total number of Republicans in each state, so we cannot conclude whether California has more Republicans than New York, or whether Texas and Florida have a similar number of Republican voters. The percentages only tell us about the turnout, not the total number of voters.
State the final answer Therefore, the data supports the conclusion that voters are more likely to participate in a general election than a primary.
Examples
Understanding voter turnout is crucial in political science. For example, if a campaign knows that general elections have higher turnout, they can focus their get-out-the-vote efforts on those elections. Also, analyzing primary versus general election turnout can reveal insights into party enthusiasm and voter engagement. This kind of data analysis helps campaigns and political scientists make informed decisions about resource allocation and strategy.
