Numbers don't lie, but they sure can be loud. When you look back at the 2020 election results numbers, the sheer scale of the data is kind of overwhelming. We aren't just talking about a few million people heading to the polls; we're talking about a historic shift in how Americans engage with their democracy. Honestly, it’s the kind of math that keeps political scientists up at night.
Basically, the 2020 election was the ultimate "stress test" for the U.S. electoral system. Between a global pandemic and a deeply polarized electorate, the final tallies represent more than just a win or a loss. They represent a country that, for better or worse, showed up in a way it hadn't in over a century. Let's get into the weeds of what actually happened, state by state and vote by vote.
The Big Picture: 158 Million Voices
If you want the "too long; didn't read" version, here it is: Joe Biden won. He secured 306 electoral votes to Donald Trump’s 232.
It’s a funny coincidence—or maybe just poetic irony—that 306 was the exact same number Donald Trump reached in 2016. Back then, Trump called it a landslide. In 2020, that same number flipped the script.
But the popular vote? That was a different beast entirely.
- Joe Biden: 81,283,501 votes (51.3%)
- Donald Trump: 74,223,975 votes (46.8%)
That's a gap of over 7 million votes. To put that in perspective, that’s like the entire population of Arizona or Tennessee deciding they all preferred one candidate over the other. Biden became the first candidate in American history to pull in more than 80 million votes. That's a massive number. But here's the kicker: Trump also broke records. He received more votes than any sitting president in history.
People were motivated.
Why the Turnout Was So Weird (and High)
You've probably heard that 2020 had the highest turnout in 120 years. That’s true. About 66.7% of the voting-eligible population cast a ballot. You have to go all the way back to the 1900 election (the McKinley vs. Bryan era) to find a higher percentage.
But why?
Most people point to mail-in ballots. Because of COVID-19, states scrambled to make voting easier from home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a staggering 69.4% of voters used "nontraditional" methods. That means they either voted by mail or hit up early voting sites. Only about 30% of the country actually walked into a polling place on Tuesday, November 3rd.
The Flip States
The election really came down to a handful of states that decided to change their minds. Biden managed to flip five states that Trump had won in 2016:
- Arizona: A narrow margin of about 10,457 votes.
- Georgia: Even tighter, roughly 11,779 votes.
- Michigan: A more comfortable 154,000+ lead.
- Pennsylvania: About 80,000 votes.
- Wisconsin: Roughly 20,000 votes.
In Georgia and Arizona, the margins were razor-thin. We're talking about less than 0.3% of the total vote. When people say "every vote counts," they aren't just being cheesy. In 2020, it was a literal reality.
Breaking Down the Demographics
If you look at who actually showed up, the 2020 election results numbers tell a story of a diversifying electorate. For the first time, Hispanic voters made up more than 10% of the total turnout.
Asian American turnout also surged, seeing a 10-point increase compared to 2016.
But it wasn't just about race. Age played a huge role. Younger voters (ages 18-34) saw their participation jump to 57%, up from 49% four years prior. That’s a huge shift. Traditionally, the youth vote is... well, unreliable. In 2020, they actually showed up.
Interestingly, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) found that while mail-in voting was huge, it might not have been the reason for the high turnout. Their research suggests that most people who voted by mail would have probably stood in line anyway. They were just that determined to vote. The pandemic didn't stop them; it just changed their logistics.
The "Red Mirage" and Why the Numbers Late at Night Were Wrong
Remember staying up late on election night and seeing Trump way ahead in Pennsylvania and Michigan? Then waking up to see Biden leading?
That wasn't magic. It was the Red Mirage.
Because many states (like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) didn't allow officials to start counting mail-in ballots until Election Day, the "in-person" votes—which skewed heavily Republican—were reported first. The mail-in ballots—which skewed heavily Democratic because of messaging during the campaign—took days to process.
It created a visual "shift" in the numbers that fueled a lot of conspiracy theories, but from a data perspective, it was totally predictable. It was just a matter of which box got opened first.
Third-Party Performance
While the big two took most of the oxygen, others were in the race too.
- Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian): 1,865,535 votes (1.18%)
- Howie Hawkins (Green): 405,035 votes (0.26%)
- Kanye West (Independent): ~70,000 votes (mostly in states like Tennessee and Utah)
In states like Arizona, Jorgensen’s 1.1% was actually larger than the margin between Biden and Trump. Some pundits argue third parties "spoiled" the race, but voters' motivations are usually more complex than a simple "A or B" choice.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
Understanding the 2020 election results numbers isn't just a history lesson. It’s a roadmap for how future elections will likely function. If you want to be an informed participant in the next cycle, here is what you should keep in mind:
Check Your Registration Early With turnout hitting record highs, registration deadlines are more important than ever. Don't wait until October. Use tools like Vote.gov to verify your status now.
Understand Your State's Counting Rules If you live in a state that doesn't count mail-in ballots until Election Day, expect delays. Don't freak out if the lead changes overnight. It’s just the math catching up to the reality of how people voted.
Look at the Margins, Not Just the Totals In a country of 330 million people, elections are being decided by 10,000 to 20,000 people in specific counties. Your local engagement—knocking on doors or just talking to neighbors—actually has a mathematically provable impact in "swing" areas.
Follow the Official Sources When the next election rolls around, skip the social media "experts." Go straight to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) or your Secretary of State’s website for certified numbers. The 2020 cycle showed us that "unofficial" tallies can be misleading if you don't know which precincts are reporting.
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The numbers from 2020 aren't just digits on a screen. They are the collective voice of a country that decided, in the middle of a crisis, that they weren't going to sit this one out. Whether you liked the result or not, the level of engagement was objectively incredible.