November 6, 2012, is election day in the United States. Across the country, citizens will vote for the leaders of their communities, cities, states, and the nation. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey has gathered data on voting and registration since 1964. In addition, data on the voting-age population is available from the decennial census. Below are some facts about voting in the United States:
On October 17, 2006, the U.S. population reached 300 million. Today, 314 million people live in the United States.
Data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau are used to enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Section 203 of the Act states that voting jurisdictions must provide language assistance during elections for groups who are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process. Using data from the American Community Survey, the Census Bureau identifies which jurisdictions must provide language assistance.
Questions or comments? E-mail the History Staff.