A weird thing about Florida.
In the 2004, 2008 and 2012 elections, turnout in Florida was higher than in Texas, despite Texas having a much higher population.
In 2012, 8,474,179 voters came out in Florida compared to 8,077,795 in Texas. New York was at 7,065,648.
This continued in 2016. 9,420,039 Floridians came to the polls, compared to 8,969,226 Texans and 7,721,453 New Yorkers. Florida’s estimated population of 20,612,439 is a bit higher than that of New York (19,745,28) but lower than that of Texas (27,862,596.)
It’ll be interesting for a political scientist to look into why it is this way. Does Florida’s reputation as a swing state mean more people go to the polls because there’s a greater sense that every vote matters? Does Florida’s older population vote more often? Do New York and Texas have a lower percentage of people eligible to vote (although do they really have significantly smaller immigrant communities than Florida)?
