Stuff to Blog About and More: Facts about the Presidential Election

National Turnout Trends

72%
Percentage of voting-age citizens who were registered to vote in 2004, compared with the 70 percent of citizens registered in 2000.

126 million
The number of people who voted in the November 2004 election — a record high for a presidential year.

89%
Percentage of registered voters who reported casting ballots in 2004, up from 86 percent in 2000.

65%
Percentage of women who voted in the 2004 presidential election, compared with 62 percent of men.

72%
Percentage of citizens 55 and older who voted in the 2004 presidential election. This compares with 47 percent among 18- to 24-year-olds. Nonetheless, the voting rate for the latter group was up 11 percentage points from 2000.

20%
Percentage of voters who reported voting before Election Day 2004 — either in person or by mail.

24%
Percentage of voters who said they registered at a county or government registration office. This was the most common registration method.

20%
The percentage of registered voters who said the reason they did not vote in 2004 was that they were too busy or had conflicting work or school schedules. This was the most common reason given for not voting.

74%
Percentage of military veterans who cast ballots in 2004, compared with 63 percent of the rest of the population.

80%
The turnout rate in 2004 for citizens with a bachelor’s degree or higher, greater than the rate for citizens whose highest level of educational attainment was a high school diploma (56 percent).

In 2004, turnout rates for citizens were 67 percent for non-Hispanic whites, 60 percent for blacks, 44 percent for Asians and 47 percent for Hispanics (of any race). These rates were higher than the previous presidential election by 5 percentage points for non-Hispanic whites and 3 points for blacks. The voting rates for Asian and Hispanic citizens did not change significantly between elections. These data pertain to those who identified themselves as being of a single race.

Except where otherwise noted, the source for the data is the Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004 report and detailed tables at <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html>.

FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.