With Election Day coming up and only 66.8% of the voting-age population having cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election, WalletHub today released its report on the Most & Least Politically Engaged States in 2024, as well as expert commentary, to identify where Americans are making their voices heard the most. The more engaged voters are, the better chance they have to impact future economic and social issues.
WalletHub compared the 50 states based on 10 key indicators of political engagement. They range from voter registration statistics and laws to the percentage of people who voted in recent elections to political contributions.
| Most Politically Engaged States | Least Politically Engaged States | |
| 1. Maryland | 41. Louisiana | |
| 2. Virginia | 42. Mississippi | |
| 3. New Jersey | 43. South Dakota | |
| 4. Oregon | 44. Nebraska | |
| 5. Washington | 45. South Carolina | |
| 6. Montana | 46. Indiana | |
| 7. Minnesota | 47. Oklahoma | |
| 8. California | 48. West Virginia | |
| 9. Arizona | 49. Alabama | |
| 10. New York | 50. Arkansas |
Key Stats
- New Jersey has the highest share of citizens who actually voted in the 2020 presidential election, 1.5 times higher than in Arkansas, where the percentage is the lowest.
- Oregon has the highest share of citizens who actually voted in the 2022 midterm elections, 1.8 times higher than in West Virginia, where the percentage is the lowest.
- There is a 0.7 correlation between the overall ranking of the states for political engagement and the level of education in each state (measured as the percentage of the population with at least a bachelor’s degree).
- Blue states are more politically engaged, with an average ranking of 15.32, compared with 35.68 for Red states (1 = Best).
