Presidential Election Year Average, from 1948-2000*
Type of Participation Percent of Texas Residents Percent of U.S. Residents
1. Registration

"Are you registered/eligible so that you could vote in the November election if you wanted to?"

 76.8% 78.3%
2. Voting

"Did you vote in the elections this November?"

 68.2 73.8
3. Trying to Influence Others

"During the campaign, did you talk to any people and try to show them why they should vote for or against one of the parties or candidates?"

 36.7 32.5
4. Writing Letters to Public Officials

"Have you ever written a letter to any public officials giving them your opinion about something that should be done?"

 22.9 24.0
5. Displaying Buttons, Stickers, or Signs

"Did you wear a campaign button, put a campaign sticker on your car, or place a sign in your window or in front of your house?"

 13.5 12.0
6. Contributing Money

"Did you give money to an individual candidate running for public office or to a political party during this election year?"

 7.9 9.5
7. Attending Political Meetings

"Did you go to any political meetings, rallies, speeches, dinners, or things like that in support of a particular candidate?"

 8.0 7.5
8. Working for a Party or Candidate

"Did you do any work for one of the parties or candidates?"

 4.1 4.0
long description of table
Source: National Election Studies. (full source, footnote)