In Largest-Ever Survey, Transgender People Report High Levels of Voting and Civic Engagement

WASHINGTON, DC, August 13, 2024—In a world of close elections, transgender (trans) people are a key part of the electorate, according to Civic Engagement in the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey, a new report released today by the Advocates for Trans Equality Education Fund. It is the second in a series of reports sharing findings from the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey—the largest-ever survey of the lives and experiences of trans people in the United States. 

Compared to the U.S. general population, survey respondents were more engaged in the electoral process: Three-quarters (75%) of voting eligible trans respondents (adult U.S. citizens) reported that they had voted in the 2020 presidential election, compared to 67% in the U.S. population. Voting eligible respondents also reported higher voter registration rates (82%) in the 2020 presidential election compared to the U.S. population (73%). These findings are consistent with the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey which also reported high voting rates among respondents.

Despite the trend in high voter turnout among respondents, voting while trans comes with unique challenges. Among voting eligible respondents who were not registered to vote in the 2020 presidential election, respondents cited reasons related to being trans, including: 

• Limitations on name and gender change updates on identification documents.
• Wanting to avoid being harassed by election officials because they were transgender.
• Thinking their state’s voter identification law could stop them from voting.

“The findings in this report really underscore that trans votes count,” said Dr. Ankit Rastogi, Director of Research at Advocates for Trans Equality. “Yet, we have to jump through hurdles to vote. Trans people deserve to participate fully in our democracy, and that means removing barriers to give us equal access to the ballot and make sure we are treated with respect at the polls.”

In addition to voting, survey respondents reported that they participate in civic and political activities to make their voices heard. In the year prior to the survey, more than three-quarters of respondents were engaged in at least one civic or political activity, including:

• Contacting a government official (28%).
• Attending a political protest or rally (26%).
• Serving on a committee for a civic, non-profit, or community organization (10%). 

“These findings suggest that substantial numbers of trans people are actively engaged in our communities and in our democracy and that elected officials should attend to critical policy issues affecting trans people to meet the needs of this important part of the electorate,” said Rastogi.

Through the U.S. Transgender Survey, trans people give voice to the issues that are most important to them. The top three policy priorities for trans people in the U.S. identified by respondents were: violence against transgender people (46%), racial justice (38%), and coverage for trans-related healthcare (34%). Respondents also noted the importance of access to healthcare, income, employment, housing, and access to identity documents that accurately reflect their identities.

“When it comes to elections, the trans community is powerful, and we persevere to make our voices heard and our votes count,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Executive Director of Advocates for Trans Equality. “Let’s keep showing up, keep telling our stories, and keep advocating for trans equality. Together, we can safeguard and improve the lives of trans folks across the country.”

The 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey was conducted by a team of experienced researchers, guided by a scientific advisory council composed of experts in research about trans populations, and under review of the UCLA Institutional Review Board. 

The 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey had an unprecedented 92,329 respondents from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and U.S. military bases overseas. Respondents were aged 16+ and diverse in race/ethnicity, educational attainment and geography. Advocates for Trans Equality Education Fund (formerly the National Center for Transgender Equality) developed the survey in partnership with the National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, the TransLatin@ Coalition, and the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance. 

Visit www.ustranssurvey.org to see the full set of findings published in the report Civic Engagement in the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey. 

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Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) is an organization that fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people in the United States. Learn more at www.transequality.org