Okay let's talk elections. You're probably here because you wanna know how 2024 stacks up against 2020 in terms of total votes. Smart move – voter numbers tell us way more than just who won. They show what's happening beneath the surface.
I remember working as a poll volunteer in 2020. The energy was... intense. Lines wrapping around buildings, folks waiting hours in rain with folding chairs. Never seen anything like it. But 2024? Different vibe. Different rules too. We'll break down exactly why the total number of votes in 2020 vs 2024 tells a wild story about American politics.
The Raw Numbers: 2020 vs 2024 Vote Totals
First, the baseline. 2020 set records – 158.4 million votes cast according to official federal data. That was 66.8% of eligible voters. Insane turnout for modern times.
Now for 2024? Mail-in ballots are still being processed in some states as I write this, but projections based on verified counts show about 155.1 million votes. Wait, lower than 2020? Yep. That's around 65.2% turnout. Not catastrophic, but definitely a dip.
| Election Year | Total Votes | Voting Eligible Population | Turnout Rate | Key Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 158.4 million | 239.2 million | 66.8% | Pandemic mail-voting expansion, high polarization |
| 2024 | 155.1 million (projected) | 248.3 million | 65.2% | Rolled-back voting access in 18 states, lower youth enthusiasm |
Where Votes Dropped Most
This isn't uniform. Three states show especially sharp declines:
- Texas - 1.2 million fewer votes (thanks to stricter voter ID laws)
- Georgia - 340k drop despite population growth (early voting cuts hurt)
- Wisconsin - 185k decline (mail ballot restrictions bit hard)
Honestly? Some of these policy changes feel like solutions hunting for problems. My cousin in Milwaukee almost didn't vote because her mail ballot application got rejected over a signature mismatch. She showed up in person instead, but not everyone can do that.
Why Comparing Total Votes in 2020 vs 2024 Gets Tricky
Population shifts alone make this apples-to-oranges. Since 2020, about 9 million more Americans became eligible voters through aging and naturalization. But hold up – the total number of votes in 2020 vs 2024 shows an actual decrease despite that growth.
Key factor people miss: Turnout rates don't account for voter suppression impacts. When you make voting harder by closing polling places or purging rolls, you're artificially deflating participation. That's not apathy – it's engineered exclusion.
Rules Changed in Key States
After 2020, 22 states passed new voting laws. Some expanded access, but many restricted it:
- 15 states reduced mail ballot drop boxes
- 9 shortened early voting periods
- 12 made voter ID requirements stricter
Florida's "anti-fraud" law backfired spectacularly – rejected mail ballots tripled due to technical errors voters couldn't fix in time. Talk about unintended consequences.
Voter Behavior Shifts That Impacted Totals
People voted differently this cycle. In 2020, mail ballots saved us during COVID. But 2024 saw a weird reversal:
| Voting Method | 2020 Percentage | 2024 Percentage | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mail Ballots | 43% | 32% | ⬇️ 11% drop |
| Early In-Person | 24% | 29% | ⬆️ 5% increase |
| Election Day | 33% | 39% | ⬆️ 6% increase |
Why? Trust issues. After all the mail-voting conspiracy theories, some folks wanted to physically feed ballots into machines. I get it – when misinformation floods social media, people default to what feels secure.
But here's the irony: election officials confirm mail ballots are just as secure. The real story behind the total votes in 2020 vs 2024 isn't fraud fears though. It's fatigue. Four years of constant political drama exhausted people. My neighbor put it perfectly: "I voted, but without that 2020 urgency."
Demographic Winners and Losers
Not all groups participated equally. Young voters (18-29) dipped from 53% turnout in 2020 to 48% in 2024. Ouch. Student debt and climate change didn't motivate them like COVID did.
Meanwhile, seniors (65+) held steady at 72% turnout. Why? They vote reliably and weren't affected by polling place reductions in college towns.
Biggest surprise: Suburban women increased turnout by 4% points versus 2020. Abortion rights drove this after Roe v Wade changed everything. That shift alone flipped two House seats.
States That Bucked the Trend
Not everywhere saw declines. Check these standouts:
- Michigan - Up 220k votes (automated voter registration helped)
- New Jersey - Up 110k votes (extended mail ballot deadlines)
- Washington - Up 85k votes (all-mail system kept participation easy)
Notice a pattern? States that maintained accessible voting saw gains. Imagine that.
Predictions vs Reality for 2024 Votes
Back in January, experts predicted 160-165 million votes. Wrong. Why?
Three things analysts underestimated:
- How much new voting laws would suppress turnout in battleground states
- Young voter disillusionment with both candidates
- The exhaustion factor after years of political chaos
Turns out pissing people off constantly isn't great for civic engagement. Who knew?
Why Does Comparing Total Votes Matter?
Beyond bragging rights? These numbers shape policies for years. Lawmakers look at turnout patterns to decide:
- Where to invest in voting infrastructure
- Which groups need outreach efforts
- How to allocate campaign resources next cycle
Plus, when you see total votes in 2020 versus 2024 dropping despite population growth? That's a red flag for democracy health. We should care about who didn't vote as much as who did.
Personally, I worry about communities where polling places vanished. In rural Arizona, some folks now drive 90 minutes to vote. That's not equality.
Your Top Questions Answered
Did voter fraud impact total votes in 2020 vs 2024 comparisons?
Nope. Audits in all 50 states show fraud rates under 0.0001%. The tiny discrepancies (like 2,000 votes across three states) come from ballot processing errors, not fraud. Anyone claiming otherwise is selling something.
Will mail voting continue to decline?
Probably not. States are standardizing systems after 2024 confusion. Expect mail voting to stabilize around 35% by 2028 once procedures improve. But in-person voting isn't going away either.
How do third-party candidates affect vote totals?
This cycle they pulled 5.8% nationally vs 3.2% in 2020. That's significant – almost 3 million voters opted out of major parties. Could signal future realignment if this holds.
Why don't vote totals match eligible population counts?
Non-citizens, felons (in some states), and people who simply don't register create gaps. About 25 million eligible Americans aren't even registered. That's why total votes in 2020 vs 2024 comparisons focus on turnout rates among eligibles.
What These Numbers Mean Going Forward
So here's my take: The dip in total votes from 2020 to 2024 isn't catastrophe. But it's a warning. When participation drops despite growing eligibility, we're failing some voters. Maybe it's cumbersome registration. Maybe it's inconvenient voting hours. Maybe it's pure cynicism.
Either way, fixing this requires data-driven solutions. Like expanding automatic registration (which boosted Michigan's turnout) or protecting early voting options. Because when we examine total number of votes in 2020 vs 2024, the real lesson isn't about who won. It's about who we're losing along the way.
After seeing both elections up close? I'll take chaotic high turnout over orderly low participation any day. Democracy's messy, but it beats the alternative.
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