When people look back at the chaos of 2020, they mostly remember the pandemic, the masks, and the razor-thin margins in states like Pennsylvania and Georgia. But if you’re a political junkie or someone who cares about third parties, you’ve probably wondered about the "others" on the ballot. Specifically, how many votes did the Green Party get in 2020?
It wasn't a banner year for them. Honestly, it was pretty rough compared to their 2016 run.
While Jill Stein managed to snag over a million votes back in 2016, the 2020 ticket—led by Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker—didn't come close to that energy. If you're looking for the hard number, the Green Party received approximately 405,035 to 407,068 votes nationwide. Different sources like the Associated Press and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) have slight variations because of how write-in votes are certified, but it basically lands right in that 400k pocket.
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The Breakdown: Why the Numbers Plummeted
You might be thinking, "Wait, why did they lose a million voters in four years?"
It's a fair question. To understand the 2020 Green Party performance, you have to look at the "lesser of two evils" dynamic that basically took over the country. In 2016, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump had record-high unfavorable ratings. That created a vacuum. In 2020, the focus for a huge chunk of the left-leaning electorate was simply "anyone but Trump."
Basically, a lot of people who might have voted Green decided to "blue no matter who" it this time around.
Here is a look at how those 400,000-ish votes actually shook out:
- Popular Vote Percentage: Roughly 0.26% of the total vote.
- Best Performing State: Maine. Howie Hawkins managed to cross the 1% threshold there, which was his high water mark for the cycle.
- Highest Raw Vote Total: California. Because, well, it’s California. Hawkins pulled in about 81,032 votes in the Golden State.
- Ballot Access: This was a huge hurdle. The Greens were only on the ballot in 30 states (plus D.C.). In 2016, they were on 45.
The Ballot Access Nightmare
The pandemic really screwed with third-party petitioning. You can't exactly go door-to-door or stand outside a grocery store with a clipboard when everyone is in lockdown.
In states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania—places where the Green Party was accused of being a "spoiler" in 2016—the party was actually kicked off the ballot after legal challenges from Democrats. In Pennsylvania, for example, a court ruled that the Green Party didn't follow the specific rules for filing paperwork. This meant if you wanted to vote for Hawkins in those swing states, you had to write him in.
Most people just don't do that. It's extra work.
Comparing 2020 to 2016: A Reality Check
Let's get into the weeds for a second. In 2016, Jill Stein got 1,457,216 votes. That was 1.07% of the popular vote.
When you compare that to Hawkins' 0.26%, it looks like a collapse. But Hawkins himself wasn't exactly surprised. He's been around the block—he's actually one of the original co-founders of the party back in the 80s. He knew that running against an incumbent like Trump would drive voters toward the "safest" option.
Also, the Libertarian Party, which is the biggest third party in the US, also saw a drop. Jo Jorgensen got about 1.2% in 2020, whereas Gary Johnson got over 3% in 2016. The "third-party surge" basically evaporated.
The New York Disaster
The biggest blow to the Green Party in 2020 might have actually happened in New York.
See, New York has these specific rules about ballot access. Before 2020, a party just needed 50,000 votes for their governor candidate every four years to keep their spot. But then the rules changed. Suddenly, parties needed 130,000 votes or 2% of the total—whichever was higher—every two years.
Howie Hawkins only got about 32,832 votes in New York in 2020.
Because of that "poor" showing, the Green Party lost its official status in New York. They went from being a permanent fixture on the ballot to having to petition from scratch every time. It was a massive setback for their infrastructure.
What This Means for the Future
Some folks argue that the Green Party is a "spoiler" that helps Republicans. Others say they provide a necessary voice for things like the Green New Deal, which Hawkins actually campaigned on long before it became a mainstream talking point.
Regardless of where you stand, the 2020 results showed that when the stakes feel "existential" to the average voter, third parties get squeezed.
Actionable Insights for Following Third-Party Politics:
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- Check Local Ballot Access: If you want to support a third party, your help is needed way before November. Petitioning usually happens in the spring and summer.
- Monitor State Laws: Keep an eye on "fusion voting" or ranked-choice voting initiatives in your state. These are the only things that truly give third parties a fighting chance.
- Look at the Down-Ballot: The Green Party often does much better in local city council or school board races where the "spoiler" narrative doesn't carry as much weight.
If you’re tracking the 2024 or 2028 cycles, keep these 2020 numbers in mind as the baseline. Anything above 400,000 is growth; anything less means the party is still struggling to find its footing in a hyper-polarized environment.
To see how the Green Party is currently positioned for upcoming elections, check the official FEC filing data or visit the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) website for their latest candidate list and state-by-state ballot status. Understanding the mechanics of ballot access is the first step in seeing why these numbers fluctuate so wildly between election cycles.