What Went Down In The 2018 Midterms

A word of caution when interpreting turnout stats today. Usually, when the media and political scientists talk about turnout (especially on the state and national level), it’s a count of how many people voted out of the pool of all eligible voters — that is, citizens over age 18 who are not otherwise barred from voting. But sometimes turnout is reported as a percentage of registered voters; if you see a county clerk quoting turnout numbers, chances are that’s what he or she is using. Either is acceptable, but just remember not to compare them — it’s apples and oranges.