Title: Dissecting the 2008 Electorate: Most Diverse in U.S. History | Pew Research Center
Headings: Dissecting the 2008 Electorate: Most Diverse in U.S. History
Dissecting the 2008 Electorate: Most Diverse in U.S. History
I. Overview
Comparing the Census Bureau’s Turnout Estimate with the Reported Vote Tally
About this Report
A Note on Terminology
Facts are more important than ever

Content: One possibility is that there has been a decline in spoiled, uncounted ballots in recent elections. Another possibility is that there has been an increase in voting by U.S. citizens living abroad – a group that is not included in the CPS survey ( McDonald, 2009 ). A third possible explanation is that the accuracy of the CPS itself may have improved. About this Report
This report summarizes the participation and characteristics of voters in the 2008 presidential election. The data for this report are derived from the November Voting and Registration Supplement of the Current Population Survey. The CPS is a monthly survey of about 55,000 households conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. The November Voting and Registration Supplement is one of the richest sources of information about the characteristics of voters available. It is conducted after Election Day and relies on survey respondent self-reports of voting and voter registration. A Note on Terminology
The terms “Latino” and “Hispanic” are used interchangeably in this report. The terms “whites,” “blacks” and “Asians” are used to refer to the non-Hispanic components of their population.