To determine the impact of Election-Day Registration on voter turnout, we need to analyze the changes in voter turnout percentages between the years 2008 and 2012 for both states with and without Election-Day Registration.
Given:
- Voter turnout with Election-Day Registration (EDR) in 2008: 72%
- Voter turnout with Election-Day Registration (EDR) in 2012: 65%
- Voter turnout without Election-Day Registration (Non-EDR) in 2008: 62%
- Voter turnout without Election-Day Registration (Non-EDR) in 2012: 58%
Steps to analyze the data:
1. Calculate the change in voter turnout for states with Election-Day Registration (EDR):
[tex]\[
\text{Change}_\text{EDR} = \text{Voter turnout in 2012} - \text{Voter turnout in 2008}
\][/tex]
Substituting the given numbers:
[tex]\[
\text{Change}_\text{EDR} = 65\% - 72\% = -7\%
\][/tex]
This indicates a 7 percentage point decrease in voter turnout from 2008 to 2012 in states with Election-Day Registration.
2. Calculate the change in voter turnout for states without Election-Day Registration (Non-EDR):
[tex]\[
\text{Change}_\text{Non-EDR} = \text{Voter turnout in 2012} - \text{Voter turnout in 2008}
\][/tex]
Substituting the given numbers:
[tex]\[
\text{Change}_\text{Non-EDR} = 58\% - 62\% = -4\%
\][/tex]
This indicates a 4 percentage point decrease in voter turnout from 2008 to 2012 in states without Election-Day Registration.
3. Compare the changes in voter turnout between states with and without Election-Day Registration:
[tex]\[
\text{Change}_\text{EDR} = -7\% \quad \text{vs} \quad \text{Change}_\text{Non-EDR} = -4\%
\][/tex]
Since [tex]\(\text{Change}_\text{EDR} (-7\%)\)[/tex] is less than [tex]\(\text{Change}_\text{Non-EDR} (-4\%)\)[/tex], the drop in voter turnout is slightly greater in states with Election-Day Registration.
Conclusion:
Based on the comparison of the changes in voter turnout percentages, we can conclude that Election-Day Registration slightly lowered voter turnout. The most appropriate choice from the given options is:
- It slightly lowered voter turnout.
