Illinoisans Aren't Very Engaged at the Polls, Says New Study

Illinoisans aren't particularly politically engaged but we're not the most apathetic voters in the country either, says a new study.

Tied with Georgia, Illinois was ranked as the number 27 most-politically involved state in the country in a study by Wallethub.com. The rankings were based on voter turnout during the last presidential and midterm elections, political contributions per capita and youth voter involvement.

Massachusetts was ranked as the top politically involved state, while West Virginia's residents are the least connected to the political process.

Political engagement throughout the country has been on a downward slide. WalletHub's study reports that 15 out of 25 statewide primaries in 2014 had record-low voter turnout. In 2010, the last midterm election cycle, about 18 percent of eligible voters participated, but this year, only 15 percent cast a ballot.

Check out Reboot Illinois to see how Democratic-leaning and Republican-leaning states tend to fare in voter turnout and how education and income levels may affect voter participation in various states.

Illinois specifically has also seen decreasing voter participation. In the last nine gubernatorial elections, no more than 65 percent of voters have shown up to the polls. Only about 50 percent have voted since 1998. In 2006, polls saw a low of 49 percent participation. Check out this chart on Reboot Illinois to see just how far Illinois voter participation has dipped since 1978.