Voting Rights/Citizen Voting Age Population
Contents
Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP)
Voting Rights Act and Block Group Demographics (blog -- subscribe now)
The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on voting and registration to help enforce civil rights laws, allocate federal funding, and inform the public about the characteristics of voters. This data is primarily gathered through the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey that includes a biennial supplement on voting and registration. The American Community Survey (ACS) also collects data on the citizen voting-age population (CVAP), which is used for similar purposes.
How the Data Are Collected
The Census Bureau collects voting data through two main surveys:
| • | Current Population Survey (CPS): Since 1964, the CPS has included a November Voting and Registration Supplement. It asks respondents if they were registered to vote and if they voted in a specific national election. If they didn't vote, they're asked if they were registered. It's assumed that those who voted were also registered. This survey collects demographic information on voters, including age, sex, race, ethnicity, educational attainment, and income. |
| • | American Community Survey (ACS): The ACS is a continuous survey that replaced the "long form" of the decennial census. It provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. The data on the citizen voting-age population (CVAP) from the ACS is crucial for enforcing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as it's the only source of local information on the number of citizens eligible to vote. |
Purpose of Voting and Registration Data
The data collected by the Census Bureau serves several important purposes:
| • | Enforcing Voting Rights Laws: The data is used to monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It helps identify and prevent discriminatory practices by providing information on the racial and ethnic makeup of a population, which is used to draw districts that ensure minority groups have a chance to elect their preferred candidates. |
| • | Redistricting and Apportionment: Census data is the foundation for reapportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and for drawing new legislative district boundaries. The goal is to ensure districts have roughly equal populations. |
| • | Federal Funding: The federal government uses population data, including voting-age population, to distribute billions of dollars in grants for programs and services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure. |
| • | Public and Academic Research: The data is a vital resource for journalists, researchers, and political analysts to study voter participation trends and better understand the characteristics of the American electorate. |