The Party of NonvotersUnderstandably, most of the attention in this fall's elections has been on likely voters, not on those unlikely to cast a ballot.
Almost certainly, however, there will be far more nonvoters1 than voters this year.
Turnout in midterm elections typically is less than 40% of the voting age population (in 2006 it was 37%), and there is no reason to expect that it will be dramatically higher in 2010.
Who are these likely nonvoters who constitute a majority of the American public this year?
Based on an analysis of a
September national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, nonvoters are younger, less educated and more financially stressed than likely voters.2
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