Granted, these results are from the last presidential/national election, and not an off-year primary like this year’s. But these are some of the most comprehensive and direct data we have on why Californians who can vote, don’t. We compared the reasons Californians gave for not voting with national responses (here is the comparison in an infographic), and we found the top reasons were:
1. “Too busy, conflicting work or school schedules”: 20 percent (California) and 20 percent (U.S.)
2. “Not interested, felt like my vote wouldn’t make a difference”: 12 percent (California) vs. 16 percent (U.S.)
3. “Illness or disability”: 12 percent (California) vs. 14 percent (U.S.)
4. “Registration problems”: 10 percent (California) vs. 6 percent (U.S.)
5. “Didn’t like candidates or campaign issues”: 10 percent (California) vs. 13 percent (U.S.)
6. “Out of town or away from home”: 9 percent (California) vs. 9 percent (U.S.)
7. “Forgot to vote or send in absentee ballot”: 6 percent (California) vs. 4 percent (U.S.)
Source: Why Californians Don’t Vote - Business Insider
