Sustainable Communities Index

Indicator CC.2.a Voting rates

Why Is This An Indicator Of Health and Sustainability?

People involved in electoral participation were 22% less likely to report poor/fair health.^a In a study about neighborhood environment, if political engagement was low, people had 52% higher odds of reporting poor health.^b

Methods

Data is from the November 2010 elections and were mapped using the voting precinct boundaries for that election. It is important to note that precinct boundaries can change slightly for each election.

Limitations

Many interrelated factors impact whether individuals register to vote and participate in elections including: educational attainment, gender, income/class, race/ethnicity, family history of voting, age, language spoken, literacy, trust in government, historical denial of the right to vote, access to transportation and childcare, get-out-the-vote mobilization efforts, awareness of candidate and ballot initiatives, clarity (or lack of) ballot initiative language, etc. Individuals without U.S. citizenship, under 18 years of age, and/or currently incarcerated or on parole are denied the right to vote in San Francisco and in the United States generally.

In general, voter turnout for city, county and state elections on non-presidential election years tends to be lower than turnout for presidential elections.   The November 2008 election had higher voter turnout (88% in San Francisco) than anytime in the previous forty years (November 2010 turnout was 61% in San Francisco).  According to Census research by Pew Research Center, the electorate in the 2008 presidential election was the most racially and ethnically diverse in U.S. history, with nearly one-in-four votes cast by non-whites. The unprecedented diversity of the electorate last year was driven by increases both in the number and in the turnout rates of minority eligible voters. Accessed on April 4, 2012: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1209/racial-ethnic-voters-presidential-election