Map Shows Crucial Swing States Aren’t the Most Interested in Politics

With the 2024 presidential election less than a month away, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are in the final stretch in the race for the White House.
The candidates have been campaigning to put forward their argument that they are the best choice for the issues that matter to Americans, particularly in the handful of swing states that are likely to decide the victor.
But a new study showed that only the potential swing states of Minnesota and Arizona ranked in the top 10 in terms of political engagement, in seventh and ninth place respectively.
Newsweek has mapped the most politically engaged states in the U.S., according to the findings of a newly released report by WalletHub.
To determine its results, WalletHub’s study compared the 50 states across a range of metrics, including (but not limited to) percentage of registered voters in the 2020 presidential election, civic education engagement, voter accessibility policies and the percentage of residents who participate in civic groups, organizations or associations.
According to the report, Maryland was the most politically engaged state in America. WalletHub said this was largely because of the state requiring civic education in schools and making it easy for residents to vote—with provisions for early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, online voter registration and same-day voter registration.
The study also found that Maryland had the fifth-highest percentage of registered voters in the country, with more than 78 percent. Additionally, just under three-quarters (about 74 percent) of Maryland residents voted in the 2020 presidential election, which was the fifth-highest turnout rate (New Jersey was the highest with 78 percent).
At $18.29, the state also had the ninth-highest average political contributions from voting-age adults in the country.
Coming in second was Virginia, which, according to the report, had the second-largest average political contribution for voting-age adults at $23.24. The state also had early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, online voter registration and same-day voter registration.
Like Maryland, Virginia also requires civic education in its schools, and had solid turnout at past elections, with 72 percent turnout in the 2020 election (the eight-highest percentage). Additionally, 76 percent of those eligible to vote were registered in 2020.
New Jersey ranked as the third-most politically engaged state. With nearly 85 percent of eligible voters registered, the report said the state had the highest level of voter registration in the U.S.
It also had the highest turnout rate in the 2020 election, with 78 percent, and requires civic education in its schools. The state also allows early voting, no-excuse absentee voting and online voter registration but does not have same-day voter registration.
On the flip side, West Virginia, Alabama and Arkansas were rated the states with the lowest levels of political engagement. WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo told Newsweek that they had rather low turnout rates and limited voter accessibility policies.
“Although West Virginia ranks first for civic education engagement, this does not necessarily translate into actual voter participation,” Lupo said.
Lupo said that despite Alabama’s civic education requirements, the state ranked poorly in terms of active participation in civic groups, which indicated “a disconnect between education and involvement.”
Arkansas, the lowest-ranked state, exhibited “the most alarming trends,” the analyst and writer said.
“The state had the lowest percentage of registered voters at 62.0 percent and a turnout decline of 4.67 percent compared to the 2016 election, a situation that calls for urgent reforms. While it ranks first in civic education engagement, the lack of sufficient voter accessibility policies significantly hinders participation.”
The states in the overall top 10 were:
Of the potential swing states not among the top 10, Wisconsin ranked 17th, Pennsylvania 20th, Michigan 26th, Nevada 27th, Georgia 33rd and North Carolina 40th.
“You might expect the most politically engaged states to be contentious swing states where votes matter most, but in actuality they are states that are solid blue or lean blue—Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey,” Lupo said in the report.
“The only swing states among the top 10 most politically engaged states are Minnesota and Arizona, which shows that plenty of people who could have an impact on the upcoming election are either choosing not to have their voices heard or are meeting some sort of obstacles to vote.”
Newsweek previously mapped states where Election Day is a public holiday and the states with the worst representation on Election Day.
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