Why Voting Matters

According to an NPR article, it’s not just presidential elections that can be affected by low voter turnout. Despite a massive turnout in the 2018 midterm election, voting in midterm races is traditionally low — the 2014 midterms saw the lowest voter participation in more than 70 years.

But a single vote can make a big difference. In fact, more than a dozen races have been decided by a single vote or ended in a tie over the last 20 years.

Here’s a look at some of the closest races in U.S. history:

  • 2017: A Virginia House of Delegates race ended in a tie out of more than 23,000 votes cast. The tie was broken by pulling a name from a film canister. Republican David Yancey was declared the winner — giving Republicans control of the state House by a single seat.
  • 2016: A Vermont state Senate Democratic primary was determined by a single vote out of more than 7,400 cast.
  • 2008: Democrat Al Franken defeated Republican Norm Coleman in the U.S. Senate race by just 312 votes out of almost 2.9 million cast — giving Democrats a 60-vote Senate supermajority.
  • 2004: A special election in Radford, Va. for commonwealth’s attorney was decided by one vote.
  • 1994: A Wyoming state House seat ended in a 1,941-to-1,941 tie. The secretary of state pulled a pingpong ball with the winning candidate’s name out of the governor’s hat — live on NBC’s Today show. The winner became speaker of the state House.
  • 1991: A Virginia state House seat was determined by one vote out of almost 13,000 cast.

In the 19th century, there were even U.S. House races decided by a single vote:

  • 1882 — VA-1: Robert M. Mayo defeated George T. Garrison, 10,505 to 10,504.
  • 1854 — IL-7: James C. Allen beat William B. Archer, 8,452 to 8,451.
  • 1847 — IN-6: George G. Dunn defeated David M. Dobson, 7,455 to 7,454.
  • 1847 — VA-3: Thomas S. Flournoy won 650 to 649.
  • 1829 — KY-2: Nicholas Coleman defeated Adam Beatty, 2,520 to 2,519.

Of course, none of those is to mention the 537-vote margin that decided Florida — and the presidency — in 2000, out of almost 6 million votes cast.

For more, read the NPR article “Why Every Vote Matters — The Elections Decided By A Single Vote (Or A Little More)” by Domenico Montanaro.

Why Does Your Vote Matter?
John Dickerson on why your vote matters in every election — from current policy to state ballot questions and more.