Who Votes for America's Mayors?

Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation , this study by the Population Research Center and the Center for Public Service at PSU examines the demographics of voters in local elections in 4 U.S. Cities: Charlotte, Detroit, Portland, and St. Paul. The study finds that

• For the largest 30 cities, Mayoral contests from 2011-2014 attracted only 27 percent of registered voters, and 22 percent of the voting-eligible population;
• Within the four pilot cities, registered voter turnout in local elections varied dramatically by census tract.
• Voting desserts characterize large areas of the urban civic landscape.
• Nearly a full generation separates those who cast ballots in local elections from those old enough to do so.
• Seniors' electoral clout relative to younger registered voters is nearly 10 to 1.
• While key socioeconomic (SES) factors clearly correlate with voting propensity, age (and sometimes race/ethnicity) matters a lot more.
• Notable SES-related findings show intriguing differences between cities.