Number of votes cast set record, but voter turnout percentage didn't

[GreenInNC]

what the f*** is it going to take to get the 39% who did not vote to get out and vote?

(CNN) -- Americans set a record for number of votes cast in this presidential election but failed to make history with the percentage of voter turnout, experts said.

A record 2.9 million voters cast ballots Tuesday in Missouri.

Curtis Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate, said Thursday that percentage turnout was lower because Republicans stayed away from the polls....


http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/06/voter.turnout/index.html

[Eric J in MN]

1. 'percentage of registered voters'

Suppose an organization registers 1,000 people who have never voted.

200 of them proceed to vote on Election Day.

The turnout rate went down, according to his method of calculation.

It puts the number of registered voters in the denominator.

He should put the number of citizens who are at least 18 in the denominator.

[cooolandrew]

2. More votes cast as higher population than back in the early 20th century, so that's correct.>

If more Republicans equaled higher turnout percentage I think we can be thankful.

[grantcart]

3. A lot of states were not competitive

I wonder what the difference in turnout was between battleground states and non battleground states?