Education and Voter Turnout: Absolute vs. Relative Effects in 2020

Authors

• Maya A. Welland, Colby CollegeFollow

Abstract

This study examines whether absolute or relative education more strongly predicts individual-level voter turnout in the November 2020 presidential election. Absolute education is measured as total educational attainment, while relative education captures an individual’s educational rank among their birth cohort. Using data from the 2020 Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement, I construct both measures and estimate bivariate and multivariate linear regression models for U.S. citizens aged 25 and older. The results show that increases in both absolute and relative education are positively and significantly associated with voting. However, when included in the same multivariate model, absolute education remains the stronger predictor of turnout. These findings suggest that the growing explanatory power of absolute education identified in post-2000 elections persists in 2020, contributing to ongoing debates about how education shapes political participation.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Welland, Maya A. (2026) "Education and Voter Turnout: Absolute vs. Relative Effects in 2020," Bates College Journal of Political Studies: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 12.
Available at: https://scarab.bates.edu/bjps/vol3/iss1/12