{
  "id": 14073015,
  "title": "Genetic scores linked to depression and neuroticism are associated with lower voter turnout",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/genetic-scores-linked-to-depression-and-neuroticism-are-associated",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-13T00:00:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/dna-and-the-ballot-box-how-genetic-scores-predict-political-participation/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A research study published in Political Behavior has found a link between specific genetic scores related to health and psychological traits and a person's likelihood of voting or engaging in political activities. By analyzing genetic data from over 50,000 individuals in the United States and Sweden, researchers discovered that genetic predispositions for traits such as cognitive performance and subjective well-being were associated with higher voter turnout. These findings suggest that some of these links may reflect causal genetic effects. While political scientists often focus on environmental factors like education, income, and family upbringing to explain voting behavior, recent findings have shown that political orientation and civic participation are also partly heritable. The researchers utilized a new tool called polygenic indices, which summarize an individual's genetic propensity for a specific trait based on hundreds of thousands of tiny genetic variations. By creating a single score from these variations, they were able to estimate an individual's genetic likelihood of exhibiting traits like extraversion, depression, or high cognitive performance. The study analyzed data from four large samples, including the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and the Swedish Twin Registry, and found that genetic scores for cognitive performance, self-rated health, subjective well-being, and physical activity were linked to higher voter turnout. In contrast, genetic scores for neuroticism and depression were associated with lower turnout. The study also revealed that genetic tendencies toward being a morning person and being adventurous were linked to higher turnout in different types of elections. While the associations were modest, they were not insignificant. The findings suggest that genetic factors may contribute to political behavior, but further research is needed to establish a direct causal link.",
  "summary": "A recent study of over 50,000 individuals reveals that genetic predispositions for health and personality traits predict voter turnout. Using advanced DNA scoring, researchers shed light on how genetics might influence our likelihood to engage in the political process.",
  "key_points": [
    "Genetic scores for cognitive performance and subjective well-being linked to higher voter turnout",
    "Genetic scores for neuroticism and depression associated with lower voter turnout",
    "Researchers used polygenic indices to estimate genetic predispositions for specific traits"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Integrating polygenic indices into political science shifts the focus from environmental drivers like education toward heritable psychological traits as significant contributors to civic participation and voter turnout.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}