Between 2008 and 2022, older voters participated at a higher rate than younger voters in every election. People ages 55+ voted at rates as much as 40 percentage points higher than people between the ages of 18 – 24. The largest difference in turnout rates between age groups is in non-presidential year primaries, which are also the elections with the lowest overall voter turnout.

Voter turnout trends also follow a consistent timing pattern across election cycles: turnout peaks during November general elections in presidential election years, and dips to its lowest points during May primary elections in midterm years. In other words, more voters cast ballots for general elections in November than for primary elections in May, and more voters vote during presidential election years than during midterm election years.

Older adults vote at higher rates than younger people across the U.S. There are many reasons for this discrepancy: As people get older, they may tend to settle in one place and move less frequently, leading to fewer interruptions in their voter registration. Over time, voting can also become more of a habit and more of a social expectation. As people reach retirement age, they often have more time to devote to keeping up on local news and issues. Portland’s Charter Commission hoped that the changes to Portland’s governing and elections would help to empower and engage all voters, particularly those who have historically voted at lower rates. 

Oregon has been a national leader in promoting policy changes that increase access to the ballot, such as vote by mail, automatic voter registration, and counting ballots that are post-marked on Election Day.

In Portland and across the country, voters of all ages participate in elections at lower rates during midterm years than during presidential election years. Likewise, fewer voters participate in primary elections than in general elections. 

Several factors contribute to lower turnout in primary elections:

• In Oregon, closed partisan primaries exclude more than half of all voters under the age of 40, and more than half of Latin@ voters, because both of these groups are less likely to affiliate with a political party. As a result, young and Latin@ voters will not be contacted by campaigns during primaries.

• In general, political campaigns spend less money on voter outreach during primary or special elections than during the general election in November. This means that most voters get fewer "touches" reminding them to vote or engaging them in the electoral process.

• Although local government elections are typically non-partisan races, fewer voters understand how local governments work or what local officials do. As a result, they are less likely to participate in local elections during the May primary.

Starting in 2024, Portland will no longer hold primary elections for local contests such as City Council and Mayor. Portland voters will only vote for these positions during November general elections. The Portland Charter Commission hoped that by eliminating primary elections, more voters would weigh-in on election outcomes.