AP Syllabus focus:
‘Turnout is typically higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections, reflecting how election type affects participation.’
Presidential and midterm elections differ in timing, visibility, and perceived stakes. These differences shape voter motivation and campaign mobilisation, helping explain why Americans participate at higher rates in presidential years than in midterms.
What “election type” means for turnout
Election type refers to the kind of election on the calendar and what offices are being contested. In the United States, the key contrast is between presidential elections (every four years) and midterm elections (congressional elections held halfway through a president’s term).
Midterm election: A regularly scheduled election held in even-numbered years between presidential elections, when all U.S. House seats and about one-third of U.S. Senate seats are contested.
Turnout patterns matter because elections are the primary mechanism for translating public preferences into representation, and different electorates can produce different political outcomes.
This chart compares turnout in U.S. presidential elections versus midterm elections over time, showing a consistent “presidential high / midterm low” pattern. The long-run view reinforces that election type is a structural driver of participation, not just a one-off feature of a single year. Source
Presidential elections: why turnout is higher
Presidential elections typically generate the highest nationwide turnout because they combine a nationally salient contest with extensive information and mobilisation.
Higher salience and perceived stakes
The presidency is a single, highly visible office, making it easier for voters to understand what is at stake.
Voters often perceive presidential contests as more consequential for:
National direction
Major policy priorities
Supreme Court nominations
International crises and economic performance
More media attention and clearer choice cues
Presidential campaigns receive sustained national media coverage, increasing public awareness.
Voters also get simpler “choice cues,” such as party labels tied to a prominent nominee, which can reduce the effort required to decide to vote.
Stronger campaign mobilisation and spending
Presidential years feature more campaign infrastructure (field offices, volunteers, advertising).
Parties, candidates, and allied organisations invest heavily in:
Voter contact (calls, texts, canvassing)
Registration and turnout drives
Election-day logistics (rides, reminders)
Mobilisation often extends “down-ballot,” increasing participation for other contests held at the same time.
Midterm elections: why turnout is lower
Midterm elections usually have lower turnout because the campaign environment is less intense and voter motivation is weaker for many citizens.
This figure shows reported turnout in each midterm election alongside the turnout in the preceding presidential election, highlighting the typical participation drop-off two years later. The repeated gaps provide visual evidence for the idea that midterms draw a smaller—and often more habitual—electorate than presidential years. Source
Lower visibility and weaker national focus
No presidential race means less sustained national coverage, so many voters receive fewer reminders and less information.
Midterms can feel less urgent to occasional voters, even though Congress’s role in lawmaking and oversight is substantial.
Fewer mobilisation forces
Campaigns and parties generally spend less overall than in presidential years, reducing direct voter contact.
Without a top-of-ticket presidential nominee, there is often less coordinated “all-hands” effort to bring marginal voters to the polls.
More complex ballot and information costs
In midterms, voters may be asked to decide among many lower-profile contests.
When fewer voters recognise candidates or understand offices, the cost of becoming informed can feel higher, discouraging participation.
How turnout differences shape outcomes
Different turnout levels mean different electorates.
Composition effects
Presidential elections tend to bring in more infrequent voters, expanding the electorate.
Midterms rely more heavily on habitual voters, who are more likely to participate regardless of the election’s visibility.
Governance and accountability effects
Because the midterm electorate can be smaller and different from the presidential electorate, election results can:
Shift control of Congress
Constrain or enable a president’s agenda
Signal approval or disapproval of the administration
This is one reason observers treat midterms as a high-stakes test of political support, even if fewer people vote.
Key takeaway for AP analysis
When comparing participation across elections, connect turnout to the election’s salience, information environment, and mobilisation level. The AP expectation is to recognise that presidential turnout is typically higher than midterm turnout and to explain how the type of election itself helps produce that gap.
FAQ
Yes. The size of the gap changes with competitiveness, major national events, and how “nationalised” congressional politics becomes, but presidential elections still usually lead.
When high-interest state or local contests (or ballot measures) coincide with midterms, they can “pull” additional voters to the polls who might otherwise skip.
If parties and media frame the midterm around presidential approval or a single national issue, voters may interpret congressional voting as a direct judgement on the administration.
No. Analysts may use turnout as a share of the voting-eligible population, registered voters, or voting-age population, and these denominators can change comparisons across election types.
It can, especially by reducing scheduling barriers, but it does not automatically equalise turnout because motivation and campaign mobilisation still tend to be stronger in presidential years.
Practice Questions
(2 marks) Define a midterm election and state one reason voter turnout is typically lower in midterms than in presidential elections.
1 mark: Accurate definition of midterm election (held between presidential elections; contests House and some Senate seats).
1 mark: One valid reason (e.g., lower salience, less media attention, reduced campaign mobilisation, no presidential race).
(6 marks) Explain two reasons why turnout is typically higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections, and explain one way this turnout difference can affect political outcomes.
2 marks: First reason explained (not just stated), linked to presidential elections (e.g., higher salience and perceived stakes; more national media).
2 marks: Second reason explained, distinct from the first (e.g., greater party/campaign mobilisation and spending; clearer choice cues).
2 marks: One outcome effect explained (e.g., different electorate composition; shifts in congressional control; stronger/weaker mandate; constraints on a president’s agenda).
