North Dakota Electorate Engaged

NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

October 8, 1998

North Dakota Electorate Engaged

North Dakota typically has had a high voter turnout than other states in the nation. In the 1996 general election, 55.2 percent of voting-age North Dakotans cast a vote for U.S. representative, compared with the national rate of 45.6 percent. That's according to information contained in the recent Population Bulletin released from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.

In 1997, the majority of North Dakota residents old enough to vote, 50.7 percent, were women, says Richard Rathge, data center director. Whites comprised 95 percent of North Dakota's 1997 electorate, Native Americans 3.4 percent and the elderly (persons 65 years and older) nearly 20 percent.

The voting-age population (U.S. residents 18 years and older) includes persons who are ineligible to vote, such as noncitizens, convicted felons and prison inmates, but excludes Americans living overseas who can vote.

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[EDITORS: TO LOCALIZE, SEE COUNTY DATA IN BLUE PUBLICATION FOLLOWING THIS STORY: "NORTH DAKOTA ELECTORATE MORE ENGAGED." THIS PUBLICATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE DATA CENTER, BOX 5636, NDSU, FARGO, ND 58105.]

Click here for a pdf version of this graphic.

Source: Karen Olson (701) 231-1060

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136