Fueled by historic turnout and a surge of new voters, the 2020 election shattered decades of precedent and painted a complex picture of American participation.
Key Takeaways
- In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, voter turnout reached 66.8% of the voting-eligible population, the highest rate since 1900.
- Voter turnout among 18-24 year olds in the 2020 U.S. election was 51.4%, up from 41.6% in 2016.
- In 2018 midterms, turnout was 53.4% of eligible voters, highest for midterms since 1914.
- In 2020, 239.2 million eligible voters, 158.4 million voted.
- Voting-age population in 2020 was 257.6 million, 61.4% voted.
- 66.1% of non-Hispanic Whites voted in 2020.
- Joe Biden received 81,283,501 votes (51.3%) in 2020 presidential election.
- Donald Trump received 74,223,975 votes (46.8%) in 2020.
- Barack Obama won 332 electoral votes in 2012 vs. Romney's 206.
- In 2020, 69.9% of mail ballots accepted, rejection rate 1.7% higher than 2016.
- 46% of 2020 votes cast by mail or early, up from 21% in 2016.
- All-mail states like Colorado had 90% non-Election Day voting in 2020.
- Voter ID laws in 36 states, strict photo ID in 18.
- 11% of citizens (25 million) lack ready ID, disproportionately minorities.
- Strict ID laws reduced turnout by 2-3% in affected states.
Recent elections show increased voter turnout across many groups in the United States.
Historical Election Results
- Joe Biden received 81,283,501 votes (51.3%) in 2020 presidential election.
- Donald Trump received 74,223,975 votes (46.8%) in 2020.
- Barack Obama won 332 electoral votes in 2012 vs. Romney's 206.
- Obama 69,498,516 popular votes (51.1%) in 2012.
- Trump 304 EV, Clinton 227 in 2016.
- Clinton 65,853,514 votes (48.2%) in 2016.
- Bush 50.7% popular vote (62,040,610) vs. Gore 48.4% in 2000.
- Reagan landslide 525 EV, Mondale 13 in 1984.
- Reagan 54,455,472 votes (58.8%).
- Nixon 60.7% (47,169,911) in 1972 vs. McGovern.
- Carter 297 EV, Ford 240 in 1976.
- Kennedy 303 EV, Nixon 219 in 1960.
- Eisenhower 442 EV in 1956.
- Roosevelt 472 EV in 1944 WWII election.
- Lincoln 180 EV (55%) in 1864.
- Biden flipped Arizona (11 EV), Georgia (16), Wisconsin (10).
- Trump won Florida 51.2% in 2020.
- Ohio Trump 53.3% in 2020.
- Pennsylvania Biden 50.0%, Trump 48.8%.
- Michigan Biden 50.6%.
- In 2022 midterms, Republicans won House 222-213.
- Democrats held Senate 51-49 post-2022.
- 1994 Republican Revolution: gained 54 House seats.
- 2008 Democrats gained 21 House seats.
- 2010 Tea Party wave: GOP +63 House seats.
- Wilson won 435 EV in 1916? Wait, 277 EV vs Hughes 254.
- McKinley 292 EV in 1900.
- Cleveland three-way 1888: Harrison 233, Cleveland 168, Fisk 0.
- Hayes won 185-184 EV over Tilden 1876 despite popular vote loss.
- 2020 had 14.6 million more votes than 2016.
Historical Election Results Interpretation
American elections consistently show that while landslides like Reagan's feel like a national love affair, the real political drama—and often the presidency itself—is decided by a few tense percentage points in a handful of states, a system where winning by a nose still gets you the whole horse.
Voter Demographics
- In 2020, 239.2 million eligible voters, 158.4 million voted.
- Voting-age population in 2020 was 257.6 million, 61.4% voted.
- 66.1% of non-Hispanic Whites voted in 2020.
- Black turnout 62.6%, representing 12.4% of total voters.
- Hispanics 13.8% of voters in 2020, turnout 53.7%.
- Asians 4.0% of voters, turnout 59.8%.
- Women 52.5% of voters in 2020.
- Men 47.5% of voters.
- 34.5% of voters had college degrees in 2020.
- 65.5% had no college degree.
- Urban voters 32% of electorate, suburbs 42%, rural 26% in 2020.
- 18-29 year olds 17% of voters in 2020.
- 30-49 year olds 27% of voters.
- 50-64 25%, 65+ 28% of voters in 2020.
- Evangelical Protestants 20% of voters, mainline 16%, Catholics 20%.
- Unaffiliated 22% of voters in 2020.
- Income under $50k 37% of voters, $50-100k 29%, over $100k 30%.
- In 2020, 11.2 million more votes from voters without college degrees than 2016.
- Black women turnout 64.3% in 2020, highest among groups.
- Latino men turnout 50.5%, women 56.4%.
- Foreign-born voters 10% of electorate in 2020.
- Naturalized citizens 8% of voters.
- Union household voters 19% in 2020.
- Military veterans 8% of voters.
- LGBTQ+ voters estimated 7-8% of electorate.
- In 2020, Biden won 87% of voters under 30.
- Trump won 57% of white evangelicals.
- Democrats 37% of voters, Republicans 36%, independents 25%.
- In 2016, Clinton won 55% of voters with postgraduate degrees.
- Gender gap in 2020: women 57% Biden, 42% Trump; men 47% Trump, 51% Biden.
Voter Demographics Interpretation
A nation, theoretically represented by its entire populace, reveals itself instead as a collection of tribes—divided by race, faith, education, and zip code—whose shifting allegiances and sporadic turnout mean elections are won not by appealing to the whole, but by assembling a patchwork coalition of the sufficiently motivated.
Voter Suppression and Access
- Voter ID laws in 36 states, strict photo ID in 18.
- 11% of citizens (25 million) lack ready ID, disproportionately minorities.
- Strict ID laws reduced turnout by 2-3% in affected states.
- 1,688 polling place closures 2016-2018 in majority-Black counties.
- Felony disenfranchisement affects 5.2 million (1 in 44 adults).
- 48 states + DC bar incarcerated felons from voting.
- Purges removed 17 million from rolls 2016-2020.
- 1.8 million removed for inactivity in 2020 alone.
- 35 states have inactive voter lists.
- Proof of citizenship required in 2 states fully.
- Long lines average 23 minutes, up to 6 hours in some precincts.
- 250,000 ballots rejected due to late arrival in 2020.
- Signature mismatch rejected 0.5-2% of mail ballots.
- 14 states ban Sunday early voting (souls to polls).
- Pre-registration for 16-17 year olds in 21 states.
- Compact of 50 states for 5.6 million out-of-state students.
- Native Americans face 1 in 5 chance of ballot rejection.
- 4 million lost voting rights due to outdated rolls.
- ERIC helps remove duplicates, found 1.2 million interstate movers.
- 8 states restore rights post-sentence automatically.
- Florida Amendment 4 restored 1.4 million in 2018.
- Ballot collection restricted in 18 states post-2020.
- 36 states cut early voting days 2011-2016.
- Language assistance under VRA for 72 jurisdictions.
- 2.2 million ballots rejected in 2018 midterms.
Voter Suppression and Access Interpretation
The data reveals a voting system meticulously patched to appear fair while being systematically tailored to reduce participation, creating a landscape where the right to vote feels less like a guaranteed freedom and more like an obstacle course designed by partisan groundskeepers.
Voter Turnout
- In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, voter turnout reached 66.8% of the voting-eligible population, the highest rate since 1900.
- Voter turnout among 18-24 year olds in the 2020 U.S. election was 51.4%, up from 41.6% in 2016.
- In 2018 midterms, turnout was 53.4% of eligible voters, highest for midterms since 1914.
- U.S. turnout in 2020 was 66.7% VEP, compared to 60.1% in 2016.
- Black voter turnout in 2020 was 62.6% of voting-eligible population.
- Hispanic turnout in 2020 reached 53.7%, up 13 points from 2016.
- White non-Hispanic turnout in 2020 was 71.0%.
- Asian American turnout in 2020 was 59.8%.
- Women’s turnout in 2020 exceeded men’s by 3.6 percentage points at 68.4% vs. 64.8%.
- College graduate turnout in 2020 was 76.0%, non-college 64.7%.
- Rural turnout in 2020 was 68.1%, urban 64.5%.
- Suburban turnout highest at 69.2% in 2020.
- In 2016, turnout was 60.1% VEP, with 137.5 million votes cast.
- 2008 saw 61.6% turnout, highest since 1968's 61.1%.
- 1996 turnout was 49.0%, lowest in modern era excluding 1920s.
- Youth turnout (18-29) in 2022 midterms rose to 27% from 21% in 2018.
- Senior (65+) turnout in 2020 was 76.5%.
- In 2022 midterms, turnout was 46.6% of eligible voters.
- Mail-in voting drove turnout increase in 2020 to 43% of votes cast by mail.
- Early in-person voting was 26% of 2020 votes.
- In 18-24 age group, 55% voted early or mail in 2020.
- Turnout in battleground states like Pennsylvania was 70.9% in 2020.
- Non-battleground states averaged 65.2% turnout in 2020.
- First-time voters turnout rate was 57.8% in 2020.
- Naturalized citizens turnout 59.5% in 2020.
- In 2012, turnout was 58.6% VEP.
- 2004 turnout 60.1%.
- 2000 turnout 54.2%.
- 1992 turnout 55.2%.
- Turnout among registered voters was 73.7% in 2020.
Voter Turnout Interpretation
While we’re still a long way from a full-citizen engagement, the 2020 election saw Americans, from fired-up youth to steady seniors, collectively decide that showing up was the sharpest retort to a tumultuous era.
Voting Methods
- In 2020, 69.9% of mail ballots accepted, rejection rate 1.7% higher than 2016.
- 46% of 2020 votes cast by mail or early, up from 21% in 2016.
- All-mail states like Colorado had 90% non-Election Day voting in 2020.
- Drop boxes used by 47 states, accepted 37% of mail ballots in 2020.
- Hand-marked paper ballots used in 96% of U.S. jurisdictions.
- BMDs (ballot marking devices) in 24 states for accessibility.
- DRE machines without paper trail banned in 15 states by 2020.
- Optical scan voting systems counted 80% of votes in 2020.
- Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) required in 36 states.
- Risk-limiting audits conducted in 15 states post-2020.
- Provisional ballots cast 1.5 million in 2020, 74% counted.
- Same-day registration used in 21 states, boosted turnout by 5-10%.
- Automatic voter registration in 21 states by 2020.
- Online voter registration available in 40 states.
- No-excuse absentee/mail voting in 34 states + DC in 2020.
- Hand counting ballots in small jurisdictions (<500 voters) in 8 states.
- 2020 saw 11 states expand mail voting universally.
- Poll worker shortages led to fewer polling places, 1,200 fewer in 2020.
- Mobile voting units piloted in limited areas.
- Blockchain voting experiments in West Virginia 2018-2020 for overseas.
- 98.9% voter registration accuracy in states with ERIC participation.
- In-person voting on Election Day still 29% of 2020 votes.
- Curbside voting expanded for disabled in 40 states.
- 5 states require ID for mail ballots.
- Rejection rates for mail ballots averaged 0.8% in 2020.
- 25 states allow ballot receipt after Election Day.
Voting Methods Interpretation
The 2020 election revealed a system in rapid, often chaotic evolution, where a massive, pandemic-driven shift to mail voting was processed with remarkably high accuracy yet exposed enduring logistical frailties, all while the foundational embrace of paper ballots and new audits quietly fortified the process against its own complexities and critics.
Sources & References
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