Let's analyze the given data in detail to understand the impact of Election-Day Registration (EDR) on voter turnout.
1. Voter Turnout in States with EDR:
- In 2008: 72%
- In 2012: 65%
2. Voter Turnout in States without EDR:
- In 2008: 62%
- In 2012: 58%
3. Calculating the Change in Turnout:
- Change in turnout in states with EDR from 2008 to 2012:
[tex]\[
65\% - 72\% = -7\%
\][/tex]
- Change in turnout in states without EDR from 2008 to 2012:
[tex]\[
58\% - 62\% = -4\%
\][/tex]
4. Analyzing the Changes:
- In states with EDR, the voter turnout decreased by 7 percentage points.
- In states without EDR, the voter turnout decreased by 4 percentage points.
The conclusion we can draw from this data is based on the observed changes. Since the decrease in voter turnout is greater in states with EDR (7%) compared to states without EDR (4%), this indicates that the presence of Election-Day Registration did not prevent a decline in voter turnout and instead, the decline was slightly more pronounced in these states.
Therefore, the most accurate conclusion we can draw is:
- It slightly lowered voter turnout.