Claims that voting makes you more likely to be picked for jury duty are misleading

Election Day is Nov. 5. 

VERIFY reader Jim recently asked us if voting in an election makes someone more likely to be called for jury duty. Google search trend data indicate others are wondering the same thing.

THE QUESTION

Does voting increase your chances of being called for jury duty?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

The act of voting doesn’t increase your likelihood of being summoned for jury duty. Voter registration data is one of several datasets that court systems use to create jury pools.

WHAT WE FOUND

The right to a trial by a jury of peers is guaranteed by the sixth and seventh amendments of the U.S. Constitution. While the Constitution doesn’t directly mandate citizens to serve on juries, it is widely considered part of an Americans' civic duties and it is against the law to ignore or refuse a jury summons.

Each jurisdiction varies in the process for juror selection for local and federal cases.

Jury pools are usually drawn from public records like voter registration lists, driver’s license and state ID databases. The goal behind jury selection is to provide a diverse group of people that represent the community, according to the U.S. court system. 

In Ohio, jurors are selected from registered voters or a combined list of registered voters and licensed drivers in the local court’s jurisdiction. Similarly, South Carolina picks jurors from lists of registered voters, licensed drivers and people with state IDs.

“Potential jurors are randomly selected from voter registration lists as well as driver’s license and Department of Motor Vehicle identification lists. Your chances of being selected for jury duty are just as great if you have a South Carolina driver’s license,” a frequently asked questions page for voters in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, says. 

In New York, the pool of potential jurors is pulled from registered voters, the DMV, state income tax records, unemployment and family assistance records, and from people who volunteer for jury duty.

New York’s Ulster County Board of Elections says “do not give up your right to vote in the hope that you will avoid jury duty. Chances are, if you pay taxes or drive a car, you will still be called. Besides, serving on a jury is a privilege, one that permits you to personally stand up for all Americans’ right to a trial by a jury by their peers.”

For federal juries, the Jury Selection and Service Act mandates a federal jury must be chosen that represents the community. Some states, like Pennsylvania and Florida, prioritize voter lists for federal jurors, though local and state juries can be drawn from DMV and state ID records. Colorado’s federal courts use voter and driver databases for selection.