NASHVILLE - Tennessee is down in the nation's basement when it comes to political engagement, according to a newly released data study of the 50 states and District of Columbia conducted by WalletHub, a personal finance website.
The Volunteer State ranks 46th nationally with an overall score 26.2 due to six factors. They include the percentage of registered voters in the 2012 presidential election and the percentage of residents who bothered to show up at polls in the 2014 mid-term election.
Georgia, meanwhile, ranked 30th while Alabama was pegged at No. 34. The nation's capital, Washington, D.C., grabbed top honors with a No. 1 ranking, quickly followed by Wisconsin at No. 2.
Five states scored worse than Tennessee: Hawaii, Arkansas, Texas, West Virginia and, at the bottom of the heap, No. 1 Oklahoma, which was scored at 15.2.
Tennessee's political engagement problems and rankings in the six categories are:
* 38th – Percentage of registered voters in 2012 presidential election
* 43rd – Percentage of electorate Who Voted in 2014 Midterm elections
* 46th – Percentage of electorate who voted in 2012 presidential Election
* 10th – Change in percentage of electorate who actually Voted in 2012 elections vs. 2008 elections
* 36th – Total Political Contributions per Adult Population
* 34th – Voter accessibility policies
Tennessee has a voter-ID law that requires voters to present state or federal government-issued photo identification to register to vote. Proponents say it curbs in-person voter fraud, although they only can cite less than a handful of cases. Critics charge it the law unfairly targets the young, minorities and elderly in an effort to depress the vote.
In its release, WalletHub noted that nearly four in 10 voters in states with no voter-ID requirements falsely believe they must present identification in order to vote.
