Study: WA To Be Among Worst-Represented States This Election

WASHINGTON — Washington's population of registered voters don't very accurately represent the actual demographics of the state, according to a new study.

For that study, researchers at WalletHub compared the voter distribution for each state to its population by race, age and gender. That data was compiled to make a Voter Registration Index, a number grading how well voter demographics match up with the demographics of the full population. Unfortunately for the evergreen state, Washington is one of the worst represented states in the country, coming in 46th out of 50.

According to the study, the 10 best-represented states were:

1. Maryland
2. Virginia
3. Indiana
4. Pennsylvania
5. Minnesota
6. Oregon
7. Massachusetts
8. Nevada
9. Wyoming
10. New Jersey

Conversly, the 10 worst-represented states were:

1. South Dakota
2. Kansas
3. Tennessee
4. Florida
5. Washington
6. Illinois
7. Kentucky
8. Hawaii
9. Idaho
10. Arizona

In particular, Washington's biggest issue was race. The state did well enough in gender representation and age representation, but researchers found the racial demographics of registered voters, and the racial demographics of the state only aligned about 73.92 percent. In comparison, gender representation aligned 92.34 percent and age aligned 85.44 percent, giving Washington an overall average of 83.90 representation.

Washington's isn't alone in with its problem with minority representation: the study found that white Americans accounted for 73.32 percent of voters, despite being just 68.93 percent of the population. Compare that to the Hispanic/Latinx population, representing 11.9 percent of America's population but just 9.22 percent of voters.

"Research shows that minority voters are more likely to not vote because of structural and institutional barriers rather than a desire not to do so," writes Daniel P. Aldrich, Professor and Director of the Security and Resilience Studies Program at Northeastern University. "That is, environmental and administrative conditions make it harder for them."

"There are numerous reasons for low turnout, and some depend on one’s ethnicity," said Joseph Losco, Professor Emeritus at Ball State University. "African American voters have consistently found it difficult to vote because fewer polling places are available in their neighborhoods, voting hours may be inconvenient (depending on the state), registration information may not be easily accessible, and they may find the process burdensome due to commitments to work and family. And decades of discrimination have made them feel unwanted, causing many to raise questions about the efficacy of their votes."

Other portions of the study confirmed what many voting experts already knew to be true: higher educated Americans were much more likely to vote than those who had not received their degrees. Similarly, wealthier Americans were more likely to vote than those who are struggling— a common criticism of the current voting system is that often residents have to choose between voting or their jobs, something those with less financial security cannot afford to do. Interestingly, marital status also appeared to impact voting: only 52.31 percent of Americans are married, but 58.82 percent of American voters are.

Overall, researchers found that America's overall voter representation index is about 87 percent representative of the whole population— better than Washington's average but not by much, and a sign that America could do much more to improve.

"If we show voters that they matter, that their vote really does count, they are more likely to take part in the process," Alison Dagnes, Political Science Professor at Shippensburg University. "Additionally, when authorities try and make voting more difficult for specific communities, it compounds that feeling of being discounted with a level of animosity. Accordingly, authorities should not make it more difficult for Americans to vote; they should make voting accessible for everyone."

Read the full study from WalletHub