Slightly more than half of the civilian population of voting age, excluding persons residing in institutions, were reported as having voted in the November 1970 Congressional election, according to the results of the Current Population Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census in November 1970. The voting turnout in 1970 (55 percent) was virtually the same as in the 1966 Congressional election, but substantially (13 percentage points) below that reported in the Presidential election of 1968.

About 14 percent of the population of voting age were reported in 1970 as being registered to vote but as not having cast a ballot and another 28 percent were not eligible to vote because they were not registered. The remaining 4 percent of persons did not report whether they voted or were registered.