A U.S. Census Bureau report issued this week concludes Iowa and New Hampshire — the two states which have traditionally started the presidential selection process for decades — have some of the highest voter turn-out in the general election. The Census Bureau analysis does not offer statistics on turn-out for the actual Iowa Caucuses or the New Hampshire Primary.
But according to the Census Bureau, 71 percent of eligible Iowans voted in the 2004 presidential election. Only six other states had voter turn-out in the 2004 general election that reached that 70 percent threshhold and those states were New Hampshire as well as Wisconsin, Oregon, Maine, North Dakota and Montana.
About 126 million Americans cast ballots in the 2004 presidential race, a record high. The turn-out for Iowa’s Caucuses has historically been much lower than even the primary elections, which are held in June.