How We Actually Boost Turnout: A Policy Practitioner's Walkthrough

Imagine you're the elections director in a mid-sized county. It's the morning after the 2024 election, and the numbers are in: your turnout was 61%, a point below the state average. You're already fielding calls from the county board, the party chairs, and a local civic group that wants to "do something about turnout." You know the data—statewide, Minnesota hit 75.9%, Arkansas 52.8% (U.S. Elections Project). You also know that your county's young voters—18 to 29—turned out at just 41%, while your 65-plus voters hit 74%. This piece is for you, and for the advocates and policymakers who work alongside you. It's a practical, opinionated walkthrough of how we actually move turnout, based on what we learned in 2024.

1. Know Your Baseline: What the 2024 Numbers Actually Tell Us

Before you change anything, you need to know where you stand. The 2024 election saw more than 153 million ballots cast, with turnout at 65.3% of citizens 18 and older—down slightly from 66.8% in 2020 (U.S. Elections Project). But national averages hide the real story. Minnesota led the states at 75.9%, while Arkansas was lowest at 52.8% (U.S. Elections Project). Youth turnout ranged from 62% in Minnesota to 33% in Arkansas and Oklahoma (CIRCLE).

These gaps aren't random. They track with policy choices. Minnesota's high youth turnout is linked to automatic voter registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds (CIRCLE). If your state lacks those, that's your first lever.

But don't just look at overall turnout. Break it down:

• Age: Voters 65 and older turned out at 74.7%, the only age group to rise since 2020; fewer than half of 18- to 24-year-olds voted (U.S. Census Bureau).
• Race/ethnicity: White turnout was 70.5%, Black 59.6%, Asian 57.1%, Hispanic 50.6%—all down from 2020, with the Hispanic drop the largest (U.S. Census Bureau).
• Education: 82.5% of advanced-degree holders voted, versus 52.5% of high school graduates (U.S. Census Bureau).

These numbers tell you who you're leaving behind. They also tell you that a one-size-fits-all turnout campaign is a waste of money.

2. Target the Youth Gap—But Do It Right

Youth turnout in 2024 was 47% for ages 18–29, down from 50% in 2020 (CIRCLE). That's a problem, but it's also an opportunity. The youth vote is not monolithic. Young women voted at 50%, young men at 41%—a 9-point gap (CIRCLE). And the racial gaps are stark: 55% of white youth voted, but only 34% of Black youth and 32% of Latino youth (CIRCLE).

Here's the thing: young people aren't lazy. They face real barriers. In 2024, 44% of non-voters cited logistical barriers—being out of town, work conflicts, transportation, or an inconvenient polling place (U.S. Census Bureau). And young people of color were more likely than white youth to say they didn't vote because they lacked information about the process or candidates (CIRCLE).

So what works? Look at Minnesota again. They didn't just register young people automatically; they also pre-registered 16- and 17-year-olds, so they're on the rolls when they turn 18. That's a policy change, not a campaign. If you can't change state law, you can still partner with high schools and colleges to provide registration forms and absentee ballot applications. CIRCLE's NSLVE study found that 76% of college students were registered in 2024, and 53% of eligible students voted—higher than the 47% for all youth (CIRCLE). That suggests that campus-based efforts work.

3. Build Trust—Because It's the Foundation

Turnout is only partly about logistics. It's also about trust. In June 2024, only 22% of Americans trusted the federal government to do what's right always or most of the time (Pew Research Center). And trust in elections is deeply partisan: 84% of Democrats were confident that votes would be accurately counted nationwide, but only 28% of Republicans felt the same (Gallup). That 56-point gap is a record.

But here's a key finding: confidence in local elections is much higher. Gallup found 76% of Americans were confident votes would be accurately counted at their own polling place, with a narrower partisan divide (Gallup). That's your opening. People trust their local election officials more than the national system. So use that.

What does that mean in practice? Be transparent. Publish your ballot chain of custody. Invite the public to observe. Explain the paper trail. Nearly 100% of jurisdictions used voting equipment that produces an auditable paper record in 2024 (EAC). That's a strength—talk about it. If you're an advocate, push for laws that require paper trails and post-election audits. That builds trust, and trust builds turnout.

4. Make Voting Convenient—But Know the Trade-offs

Convenience matters. In 2024, 37.4% of voters cast ballots on Election Day, 35.2% early in person, and 30.3% by mail (EAC). Mail voting's share is down from the pandemic high of 43% in 2020, but it's still above pre-pandemic levels (EAC). Early voting is also growing.

But convenience isn't just about the method; it's about access. The Census found that 44% of non-voters outside the Western states cited logistical barriers (U.S. Census Bureau). That's a huge number. So what do you do?

First, expand early voting hours and locations, especially in areas with low turnout. Second, provide drop boxes. In 2024, nearly 15 million mail ballots were returned at drop boxes in the 36 states that allowed them (EAC). Third, make sure you have enough poll workers. In 2024, more than 770,000 people served as poll workers, but the majority were 61 or older (EAC). That's a risk. Recruit younger poll workers—it's also a way to engage young people in the process.

But here's a warning: don't assume that mail voting is the answer for everyone. Some voters prefer in-person. In 2024, 39.6% of voters cast ballots in person on Election Day (U.S. Census Bureau). If you move to all-mail, you might disenfranchise those voters. The key is to offer options, not mandates.

5. Address the Deeper Disengagement

Even with convenient voting, some people won't show up. Why? Because they don't feel connected. CIRCLE found that 61% of youth who didn't vote in 2024 said they rarely or never spend in-person time with their community, versus 47% of youth who voted (CIRCLE). And 60% of rural youth live in "civic deserts"—communities with little access to civic institutions (CIRCLE).

This isn't just about elections; it's about civic health. If you want to raise turnout long-term, you need to invest in civic infrastructure. That means supporting local news, which is trusted more than national news (Reuters Institute). It means creating spaces for people to discuss politics face-to-face. And it means addressing the material conditions that make voting a luxury. More than 40% of youth, and over 60% of youth who didn't vote, said they sometimes or often find it difficult to meet basic needs (CIRCLE). If you're struggling to pay rent, voting is not your top priority.

So, as a practitioner, you can't just run a get-out-the-vote campaign. You need to partner with social services, community organizations, and churches. You need to meet people where they are.

Quick tip: When you're designing a turnout program, start with your lowest-performing demographic and ask them directly what would help them vote. Don't assume you know.

What I'd Actually Do

If I were in charge of a county's turnout strategy for 2026, I'd do three things. First, I'd push for automatic voter registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. The Minnesota evidence is compelling: they had the highest youth turnout in the nation, 62%, and CIRCLE credits those policies (CIRCLE). Second, I'd invest in early in-person voting and drop boxes, because they're popular and secure. Third, I'd launch a trust-building campaign that highlights the paper trail and local election integrity. I'd also recruit a diverse poll worker corps, because the current poll worker population is aging (EAC).

But I wouldn't stop there. I'd work with schools and community groups to create "civic learning" opportunities, especially in rural areas, because the data show that civic deserts suppress turnout (CIRCLE). And I'd make sure that any outreach is targeted to the groups with the biggest gaps: young men, Latino and Black youth, and people without college degrees.

This isn't rocket science, but it's not easy either. It takes political will, funding, and a willingness to listen. But the payoff is a healthier democracy. And that's worth the work.

Sources

• U.S. Elections Project - https://www.electproject.org/
• CIRCLE (Tufts) - https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/new-data-nearly-half-youth-voted-2024
• Gallup - https://news.gallup.com/poll/651185/partisan-split-election-integrity-gets-even-wider.aspx
• U.S. Census Bureau - https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/2024-presidential-election-voting-registration-tables.html
• EAC - https://www.eac.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/2024_EAVS_Report_508.pdf