Community Life
Voter Participation Rate


Voter Participation Rate

What does this measure?

The percentage of the voting-age population (18 and over) that voted in an election.

Why is this important?

Voting is a basic responsibility of all citizens and an indication of the citizenry's interest in and commitment to participating in our political process.

How is our county doing?

In Essex County, voter participation was 68% in the 2020 presidential elections and 51% in the 2018 midterm elections. The 2020 presidential election participation rate was slightly higher than the rates in all presidential elections since 2000.

Voter turnout in Essex County in 2020 was a bit higher than the state (66%). Wenham had the lowest participation rate at 66%, and Newbury and West Newbury the highest, at 97% and 100% respectively.

How do we compare to similar counties?

Voter participation in Essex County during the 2020 presidential elections was higher than Lake, IL and Westchester, NY (63% and 62% respectively), and similar to the rate in Middlesex, MA at 67%.

Notes about the data

Rates were calculated using Census estimates of the population 18 and over. National data only available for presidential years.

Voter Participation Rate
20002002200420062008201020122014201620182020
Essex County, MA58%47%61%47%64%47%63%43%64%51%68%
Amesbury54%44%63%48%68%49%66%44%70%58%78%
Beverly59%48%62%49%65%50%65%45%67%56%72%
Gloucester56%46%63%51%67%49%66%46%68%56%76%
Haverhill49%39%54%40%59%42%59%39%62%47%62%
Lawrence29%23%32%24%37%24%40%25%43%27%37%
Lynn41%32%42%31%45%31%47%30%49%35%47%
Methuen53%41%56%41%60%43%59%38%62%46%65%
Newburyport72%61%76%60%80%63%80%59%82%72%89%
Peabody60%50%63%51%65%49%65%46%67%53%69%
Salem52%43%55%42%58%41%58%38%63%54%67%
Andover71%58%74%57%76%59%75%51%75%62%81%
Boxford78%68%85%68%88%74%90%63%88%75%95%
Danvers64%51%66%52%68%51%68%46%72%58%77%
Essex78%65%82%67%84%66%79%59%81%71%90%
Georgetown71%56%76%60%81%62%81%55%81%66%91%
Groveland69%58%77%62%81%63%81%57%81%68%90%
Hamilton70%60%78%62%83%64%79%57%82%70%91%
Ipswich70%58%76%61%79%61%79%57%81%71%89%
Lynnfield78%67%81%63%82%65%83%57%80%66%87%
Manchester79%68%84%69%88%70%89%66%89%77%93%
Marblehead78%66%80%66%84%68%84%64%86%75%94%
Merrimac66%54%73%57%76%57%73%52%76%65%87%
Middleton55%46%59%52%64%50%64%45%68%54%77%
Nahant73%64%77%65%81%67%80%65%81%71%91%
Newbury73%62%79%66%84%69%85%63%85%75%97%
North Andover66%54%68%52%73%54%72%48%72%58%79%
Rockport70%60%76%63%80%64%82%63%83%73%92%
Rowley68%57%74%60%79%62%80%58%82%67%91%
Salisbury57%44%61%45%64%47%63%43%64%52%75%
Saugus61%49%63%48%63%49%62%45%65%50%69%
Swampscott69%59%74%59%77%65%77%61%77%67%83%
Topsfield79%70%84%70%87%73%89%67%88%75%94%
Wenham57%50%61%48%61%48%59%42%60%51%66%
West Newbury82%67%85%69%91%73%88%66%89%77%100%
Middlesex County, MA58%48%61%47%63%47%62%42%63%53%67%
Lake County, IL17%37%57%38%59%40%56%38%56%47%63%
Westchester County, NY55%37%57%39%59%37%53%31%56%44%62%
Massachusetts56%45%59%45%62%45%61%41%62%50%66%

Source: Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, New York State Board of Elections, Illinois State Board of Elections and Federal Elections Commission
Notes: Rates were calculated using Census estimates of the population 18 and over. National data only available for presidential years.




Number of People who Voted
20002002200420062008201020122014201620182020
Essex County, MA313,374258,718334,862260,488356,071269,472368,102258,959392,789317,264424,599
Amesbury6,9625,6237,9375,9998,5716,2348,5235,9459,4027,82610,462
Beverly18,89415,53119,67715,61420,61415,76921,02014,79422,41318,97324,704
Gloucester13,87911,26015,07612,05115,68411,46615,68911,17016,70813,90218,313
Haverhill22,46318,03224,72618,17627,13819,78028,12318,78930,12923,31632,572
Lawrence14,87211,94516,58112,76719,66013,24522,05214,30424,53715,54923,367
Lynn27,62721,31428,13620,66429,95621,31132,25720,83234,18924,70536,026
Methuen17,52914,01919,38014,35021,10915,32621,67214,36923,58417,81726,096
Newburyport9,8728,34210,4308,19510,9448,63511,0638,28511,58410,29712,897
Peabody23,38920,03225,17920,45826,44120,43527,11619,52328,54922,66330,261
Salem16,99714,28218,14013,86619,31613,65919,84713,42922,18318,96124,139
Andover16,51313,73817,41013,48518,34414,26318,83013,21119,57216,53321,901
Boxford4,4473,8664,8113,8264,9814,2535,1933,6955,2084,4705,582
Danvers12,72110,41913,33710,53514,05010,73714,63810,16015,60612,70417,062
Essex1,9451,6532,1131,7362,2091,7602,1801,6482,3042,0422,528
Georgetown3,8413,1424,2613,4044,7463,6904,9473,4075,1024,2115,615
Groveland3,1462,6943,5942,9143,8673,0474,0022,8724,1253,4924,566
Hamilton4,2283,6044,5953,5874,7283,6034,5293,3024,7624,1195,028
Ipswich7,1225,9617,8066,2828,1676,3838,4136,1498,8467,8189,728
Lynnfield6,5985,7256,9125,3726,9845,6527,2925,3857,6936,4218,400
Manchester3,1662,7263,3142,6883,4212,7523,5432,6633,6233,1763,841
Marblehead11,87210,11712,1129,86312,46010,17012,7049,82013,15811,62114,343
Merrimac3,0382,5263,4132,6633,5812,7153,6042,6423,9353,4284,421
Middleton3,3762,8873,8273,4844,3683,5084,6563,4365,2114,3075,905
Nahant2,2191,9362,2591,8742,3141,9142,3201,8862,3782,1012,533
Newbury3,7743,2324,0923,3724,3293,5394,4813,3684,6234,1445,041
North Andover13,17110,91413,85510,61815,06211,25215,34310,62816,39113,38818,122
Rockport4,5003,8184,6573,7344,6853,6784,7743,7074,9764,3605,309
Rowley2,8162,4173,1512,5623,4492,7233,5942,7023,9053,2714,237
Salisbury3,6112,8203,9692,9114,2223,1644,3143,0384,8103,9925,596
Saugus12,97110,53713,47110,12613,50410,59413,82110,07814,71811,37315,902
Swampscott7,7056,5518,0476,3128,1916,8728,3006,6668,8857,8939,670
Topsfield3,5253,1473,7333,0983,8593,2264,0923,1834,2143,6144,487
Wenham2,0981,8492,2711,7962,3451,8672,3731,7122,4782,1322,647
West Newbury2,4872,0592,5902,1062,7722,2502,7972,1612,9882,6453,298
Middlesex County, MA663,624547,665692,287538,444730,490557,974757,380531,679808,630678,178869,347
Lake County, IL76,085173,888275,295186,305299,105204,927287,493200,827299,040250,739334,177
Westchester County, NY378,961258,104398,532274,690417,496265,063387,880229,387424,055333,071468,773
Massachusetts2,734,0062,220,3012,927,4552,243,8353,102,9952,319,9633,184,1962,186,7893,378,8012,752,6653,658,005

Source: Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, New York State Board of Elections, Illinois State Board of Elections and Federal Elections Commission
Notes: National data only available for presidential years.




INDICATORS TREND | ESSEX COUNTY