| Chapter 1: | Symptoms |
An examination of the levels of voter participation in primary elections or state and local contests reveals an even bleaker picture. Participation in presidential primaries and caucuses is very low and has dropped from about 30 percent in the 1970s to 17 percent in 2000.17 (There has been a similar decline in congressional primaries, with an average turnout in recent years of 15 percent.18) The presidential primary elections of 1996, 2000, and 2004 saw an overall voter turnout of under 20 percent
Figure 1.2. Voter turnout in midterm elections, 1982–2010.
Source. United States Election Project, George Mason University, http://elections.gmu.edu.