What percent of the total population voted in the 2012 presidential election?

1. How accurate was your prediction?

2. How surprising was this information?

3. What is the big story this chart tells?

4. What are two causes of the increase in voter participation?

5. What are two effects of this increase in voter participation?

6. Is this good news?

7. What does this chart tell us about American democracy?

8. What story does this chart tell since 1948?

9. Draw a line on your chart to extrapolate and predict voter turnout over the next 24 years.

10. Explain which 2016 presidential candidate would benefit the most from high voter turnout?

Learning Extension

Read this Stanford University article about why it's hard to increase voter participation.

Action Extension

Vote. If you can't vote, drive someone to the polls, volunteer for a candidate you believe in: (Stein), (Johnson), (Trump) or (Clinton), or convince someone to vote the way you would vote if you could. If you convince someone of the opposing party to vote your way, you'll be doubling your power!