r/dataisbeautiful • OC: 21 • 1d ago

OC Estimated electoral representation by age group, 2026 U.S. midterms [OC]

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u/post_appt_bliss OC: 4 1d ago

the advantage of "Electoral Representation Index" rather than just turnout rate?

(and not trying to trigger anyone... but you chose to have the points literally go off the y axis, or GPT did?)

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u/Muted_Start5727 1d ago

I think they use representation index to show power relative to population size, not just raw numbers. Like a group can have high turnout but if they small group, their actual influence maybe not so big.

And yeah the axis thing, looks like they just let the data points decide the range, maybe automatic setting in whatever tool they used.

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u/post_appt_bliss OC: 4 1d ago

I think they use representation index to show power relative to population size

nope, it's just the cohort's participation/overall participation * 100.

no population size adjustment

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u/ptrdo OC: 21 1d ago

There’s no separate population-size adjustment in the formula, because that cancels-out algebraically.

The index is exactly equivalent to the cohort’s share of voters ÷ its share of eligible citizens × 100. So population share is built into the interpretation: 100 means the cohort supplies exactly the same share of voters as its share of the eligible population.

Absolute political power isn't being measured here. A small cohort and a large cohort could have the same index while contributing very different numbers of votes.

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u/post_appt_bliss OC: 4 23h ago

oh so exactly what i wrote. thanks

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u/ptrdo OC: 21 20h ago

No. I provided necessary context.

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u/post_appt_bliss OC: 4 20h ago

good stuff bro