Where Were College Voters?

Polling predicted a surge of young voters this year. But three available metrics suggest Virginia voters 25 and younger may have represented a smaller share of the electorate this year. A definitive picture of how the pandemic affected voting behavior -- such as more students voting in their home precincts - won't be available until the Department of Elections updates its voter history file early next year.

Metric #1: Voter Registration

Because of the pandemic, new registrations were down across the board for a presidential election year. But younger voters saw one of the steepest drops.

New Registrations, Variance from State Average

Metric #2: Campus Precincts

Virginia broke a modern record in presidential turnout, but participation was down nearly 20% in precincts located on college campuses. The stats below include early and Election Day voters.

Turnout in College Precincts

Metric #3: Early Voting

Virginia saw a massive switch to early voting this year. Younger voters joined the trend, but at a much lower rate than others.

Change in Absentee Ballots Returned

Source:Virginia Department of Elections. Registration, turnout and early voting numbers all compare presidential elections in 2016 and 2020.