The Census Bureau has released its report on turnout in the 2006 midterm election. And there's good news: seven million more voters turned out in 2006 than in 2002. Forty-six percent of the voting-age population took their soles to the polls, up from 42 percent in 2002.

This was the highest voter turnout since 1994, when 45 percent showed up and turned out congressional Democrats. That election marked the beginning of the so-called Republican Revolution.
Turnout in congressional elections is much lower than presidential elections. On the eve of the Fourth of July, it is encouraging that more Americans exercised the right that guarantees all other freedoms – the right to vote. Also, 78 percent of Americans believe voting is a sign of patriotism and love of country

The report's findings include:

• White turnout was higher than black, 52 percent compared with 41 percent.
• Hispanics and Asians turned out at the same rate, 32 percent.
• Whites had the highest voter registration rate (71 percent), followed by blacks (61 percent), Hispanics (54 percent) and Asians (49 percent).
• Young people (18-to-24) had the lowest turnout rate (22 percent); people 55 and older had the highest (63 percent).
• Women register and vote at a higher rate than men.
  

Among African Americans, those living in the Midwest were the most likely to vote, 48 percent compared with 41 percent in the South. The reasons for not voting included too busy, conflict with school or work, not interested in the election outcome, or did not think their vote would make a difference.

Still, using a regression model (yeah, my eyes glazed over as well), the Census Bureau found that black Americans had about 30 percent greater odds of registering and 20 percent greater odds of voting than white Americans.

The full report is available here.