Vote totals may rise or fall, but spending on congressional campaigns soars Votes cast and dollars spent on House and Senate elections
While perceptions of influence are subjective, there’s clearly more money in the U.S. political system now than at any time since the campaign finance reforms of the 1970s, according to a new Pew Research Center data analysis of contributions and spending. That’s the case whether you look at presidential, House or Senate elections.
Last year’s midterm Senate election was the costliest ever – or at least since 1974, when modern disclosure rules kicked in. The 2014 election featured several competitive races, the outcomes of which would determine control of the Senate; Democrats and Republicans fought – and spent – fiercely. According to our analysis of Campaign Finance Institute data, nearly $1.1 billion was spent on 2014’s Senate races by candidates, parties and outside groups, 25% more than in the previous off-year cycle of 2010. The biggest increase was in non-party independent expenditures, which soared from $105.6 million (inflation-adjusted) to $387.3 million.
But despite all that money and attention, voter turnout in last year’s Senate elections didn’t increase; in fact, it was the lowest since 1990. We calculated turnout using estimates of the voting-eligible population (all citizens of voting age, at home and abroad, excepting ineligible felons) made by University of Florida political scientist Michael McDonald. Only about 44 million people voted for Senate in 2014, according to tabulations published by the House Clerk’s office – 38% of the voting-eligible population in those states with Senate elections.
Vote totals may rise or fall, but spending on congressional campaigns soars  | Votes cast and dollars spent on House and Senate elections  | Senate  | House  | 140 million votes  | $1.4b  | 140 million votes  | $1.4b  | Expenditures  | (2014 dollars)  | 120  | 1.2  | 120  | 1.2  | Expenditures  | (2014 dollars)  | 100  | 1.0  | 100  | 1.0  | Total votes cast  | 80  | 0.8  | 80  | 0.8  | Total votes cast  | 60  | 06  | -60  | 06  | 40  | 0.4  | 40  | 0.4  | 20  | 0.2  | 20  | 0.2  | '74 .78 '82 '86 '90 '94 '98 '02 '06 '10 '14  | '74 '78 '82 '86 `90 '94 '98 '02 ``66 '10 114  | Note: Turnout in House and Senate elections typically is higher in preside ential-election years than in mid-term elections.  | Turnout in Senate elections also is affected by which states (large, small or mids ized) are electing featuring senators in any particular  | year. Turnout in the 2014 Senate races was especially low because it was a mid-term election featuring few large states  | Source: Campaign Finance Institute (expe nditures), House Clerk's office (votes), Pew Research Center analysis  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 