INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana voter turnout rates have long lain among the lowest in the country. Despite that, some Hoosier voters cast ballots year after year, and political parties rely on them.
“These people wouldn’t miss an election, even if there were little competition or few things on the ballot. They are there for it,” said Dr. Laura Merrifield Wilson, a political science professor at the University of Indianapolis.
It’s a small percentage of people, particularly in Indiana, which ranked second-last in the country for turnout in the 2022 election. That’s according to the most recent state Civic Health Index.
But the “overwhelming” indicator of a “sustained political participant” is age, per Wilson.
“The 50-plus are reliable,” said Sarah Waddle, the state director for Indiana’s branch of the AARP. “They’re the driving force behind almost every election.”
That’s because Indiana voters, 50 and older, are often the majority of the electorate, according to AARP data: 67% in 2022, a midterm year, and 56% in 2020, a presidential year.
Voters older than 65 were particularly enthusiastic. Wilson said they may have more skin in the game after moving to fixed incomes or using government programs like Medicare. And, they’ve typically got more time.
“For someone who is retired and now has a tremendous amount of free time, they have time to research the candidates and pay attention to the debates,” Wilson said. “They have more time to vote and to be engaged in the democratic process, compared to anyone with any type of job or (dependent children).”
Read the complete Leslie Bonilla Muñiz story for the Indiana Chronicle, here.