Indiana voter participation hit historic lows in the Nov. 4 election.
The state recorded the lowest voter turnout in America, with just 28 percent of the voting-eligible Hoosier population showing up to cast ballots, according to early calculations by the United States Elections Project and cited in a Washington Post report. Indiana's performance looks even bleaker in light of the national statistics. Voter turnout nationally — 36.4 percent of voting-eligible Americans — was the lowest since World War II.
The last time voter turnout dipped below 36.4 percent in a U.S. general election was 1942, when 33.9 percent hit the polls.
In last Tuesday's election, Maine recorded the highest voter turnout at 59.3 percent. Others with turnouts above 50 percent were Alaska (55.3), Colorado (53), Iowa (50.6), Minnesota (51.3), Oregon (52) and Wisconsin (56.9). All of those states, except Alaska and Oregon, offer Election Day registration to voters, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). All except Wisconsin allow pre-registration for voters younger than 18.
The states joining Indiana with turnouts below 30 percent were Mississippi (29.7), New York (28.8), Oklahoma (29.8), Tennessee (29.1), Texas (28.5) and Utah (28.8). Of those, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas maintain strict voter-ID laws.
The Elections Project estimates are based on state election officials' projections and tallies by The Associated Press. The Elections Project includes the voting-eligible population as the denominator, which is an estimate of the residents eligible to vote regardless of registration status.
On Tuesday, the office of Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson declined to comment on turnout until official county-by-county reports are received and compiled. Those final calculations are expected to be completed in a week or two, spokesperson Valerie Kroeger said.