Final answer:
Roughly 40% of the population does not vote in any given election year in the United States. While 55% to 65% of voting-age citizens vote in presidential elections, voter turnout is lower in congressional and local elections.
Step-by-step explanation:
In any given election year, roughly 40% of the population does not vote.
Voter participation is critical to the democratic process in the United States. However, a significant portion of the population chooses not to exercise their right to vote. During U.S. presidential elections in recent decades, approximately 55% to 65% of voting-age citizens have voted, according to the U.S. Census. This suggests that between 35% to 45% do not vote. Voter turnout is even lower during congressional elections without a presidential race and in local elections, often less than half of eligible voters participate. In other countries, voter turnout can be considerably higher, with counties like Germany, Spain, and France seeing between 75% to 80% voter turnout.
Factors contributing to low voter turnout may include being too busy, transportation problems, and restrictive registration laws. These factors all contribute to why a considerable part of the voting-age population opts out of participating in elections.