Voter generation turnout rates in presidential elections, by generation % of eligible voters who say they voted Greatest
Baby Boomers and prior generations have cast the vast majority of votes in every presidential election since 1980, data from the Census Bureau’s November Current Population Survey voting supplement show. In 2012, Boomers and previous generations accounted for 56% of those who said they voted. And these generations dominated earlier elections to an even greater degree.
In the 2012 election an estimated 70% of eligible voters in the Baby Boom, Silent and Greatest generations voted. Turnout among these generations was similar in 2004 (70%) and 2008 (69%).
If (and it’s a big if) 70% of Boomer-and-older eligible voters turn out in November, Millennials and Xers could match them even by turning out at much lower rates. A turnout rate of 70% among older voters would translate to 68.6 million votes. Millennials and Gen X could match that number of votes with a turnout rate of 54.5%. This level of turnout among the two younger generations seems plausible based on past elections.
Voter generation turnout rates in presidential elections,  | by generation  | % of eligible voters who say they voted  | 76  | 76  | Greatest  | Silent  | Boomer  | Gen X  | 46  | Millennial  | 39  | 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012  | Notes: Eligible voters are U, S citizens ages 18 and older. Prior to 1996 the CPS did not  | co liect informa tion on citizenship in uniform way. Estimates for voter turnout prior to  | 1996 should be interpreted with caution, as they are not directly comparable to estimates  | from 1996 and after. Due to data limitations, the voter turnout rates for 2008 for the Silent  | and Greatest genera tions are likely unde restimated  | Source: Pew Research Center ta bulations of the 1 9980 -2012 Current Population Survey  | Novem ber Supplement.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 