Voter turnout in each of the last six midterm elections has been at least 8 percentage points lower than turnout in the presidential election two years earlier. For example, 61% of voting-age citizens said they voted in the 2016 presidential election, according to estimates from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. In the 2018 midterm, 53% said they voted.

With the 2022 election approaching, here is what census data reveals about American voters and their midterm habits.

Reported voting fell from 64% in 2008 to 46% in 2010. From 2012 to 2014, it dropped from 62% to 42%.

The smallest voting gaps from presidential election to midterm were in 2018, when turnout was high for a midterm election. Estimated turnout rates for the 2020 presidential election, when turnout was also high, are shown below for reference.