VOTER REGISTRATION GAPS AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION U.S. voter registration rates have fluctuated significantly since the 1996 National Voter Registration Act: registration peaked at 73.5% of eligible citizens in 2008 before declining to 67.7% by 2020, with persistent disparities across demographic groups—minorities and younger voters consistently showing 5–12 percentage point lower registration rates. These gaps compound into measurable electoral outcomes: a 5% swing in voter registration among swing-state demographics can shift races by 1–2 million votes nationally. Understanding registration dynamics matters because they function as an upstream variable affecting political power distribution; which populations remain unregistered determines whose interests shape policy before a single vote is cast. This structural element explains part of why election outcome predictions miss their mark and why sustained registration campaigns by both parties intensify during election cycles.