For the 2024 presidential election, the U.S. had roughly 245 million eligible voters. But only about 64% actually cast a ballot, according to the University of Florida Election Lab.
Florida had a slightly higher turnout at about 67%.
The nonpartisan groups Voter Participation Center (VPC) and Center for Voter Information (CVI) aim to raise that number.
The groups are sending 11.1 million voter registration applications to Americans who are eligible to vote but are not registered. More than one million of those will go to Floridians. The groups are also sending 57,160 vote-by-mail applications to people across the Sunshine State.
In 2024, Florida had roughly 16.3 million eligible voters. As of Tuesday, close to 13.5 million people were registered to vote statewide.
"Our goal is simple: to make it as easy as possible for eligible Americans to vote," VPC and CVI President and CEO Tom Lopach said in a press release.
He said the groups are seeing more barriers to voting nationwide.
Voting rights advocates filed a federal lawsuit challenging a proof-of-citizenship law that passed in Florida earlier this year. It would require voters to have documentation like a passport or birth certificate to register or stay on voter rolls. The American Civil Liberties Union is representing the plaintiffs and argues the law, scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2027, will create unnecessary barriers for thousands of Floridians.
The deadline to register for the general election in Florida is Oct. 5.
Election day is Nov. 3.
If you want to register to vote, you must be a citizen of the U.S., a legal resident of Florida and the county you seek to register in. You must be at least 16 years old to preregister or at least 18 years old to register and vote.
Visit the state's website to learn more: Register to Vote Florida
If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
