The dust has settled, the inauguration is long over, and the spreadsheets are finally final. 2024 was supposed to be the "election of a lifetime," a collision of political titans that would drag every single soul to the polls. But it didn't quite work out that way.
In fact, the number of people who stayed home is staggering.
Roughly 81 to 86 million eligible Americans didn't cast a ballot in 2024. That’s a massive slice of the country. To put it in perspective, the group of people who didn't vote was actually larger than the total number of people who voted for Donald Trump (about 77 million) or Kamala Harris (about 75 million).
"Did Not Vote" was essentially the landslide winner.
The Raw Numbers: How Many Americans Did Not Vote in 2024?
Honestly, the figures are a bit of a reality check. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the University of Florida Election Lab, the voting-eligible population (VEP) in 2024 was approximately 244.7 million people.
Out of that group, only about 155 to 156.8 million people actually voted.
This puts the turnout rate at roughly 63.5% to 64%. While that might sound high, it’s actually a dip from the record-breaking 2020 election, where 66.4% of eligible voters showed up. We basically lost about 2.5 percentage points of participation in just four years.
🔗 Read more: When Does Joe Biden's Term End: What Actually Happened
Why? It’s not just laziness.
The reasons are kinda complicated. You've got everything from "I hate both candidates" to "I literally couldn't get off work."
A Quick Breakdown of the No-Shows
- Total Non-Voters: Roughly 85.9 million eligible citizens.
- The Registered-but-Stayed-Home Group: About 20 million people were registered but didn't show.
- The Unregistered Group: Roughly 65 million people didn't even sign up.
Why Millions Stayed Home (And No, It Wasn't Just One Thing)
Most people assume non-voters are just "uninformed." That's a huge misconception.
A massive study by Pew Research Center released in mid-2025 found that 2024 non-voters were split into very specific camps. For many, it was a protest. For others, it was a logistical nightmare.
1. The "Double Haters"
A lot of people just didn't like the options. Period. About 24% of young non-voters told CIRCLE at Tufts University that they didn't cast a ballot simply because they disliked all the candidates on the ticket. They felt like their choice was between a rock and a hard place, so they chose... neither.
2. The Time Crunch
Life happens. 17.8% of people who skipped the vote said they were "too busy" or had conflicting work/school schedules. Think about the single mom working two jobs or the student with three midterms on a Tuesday. Even with early voting, for some, the clock just ran out.
💡 You might also like: Fire in Idyllwild California: What Most People Get Wrong
3. The Disinterest Factor
Surprisingly, about 20% of non-voters honestly felt like the outcome wouldn't change their daily lives. They didn't see the connection between a ballot and their rent or grocery bills.
The Demographic Divide
Who were these 85 million people? They weren't a monolith.
The data shows a pretty clear trend: the younger and less wealthy you are, the less likely you were to vote in 2024.
Young adults (ages 18-29) made up about 28% of the non-voters but only 14% of the actual voters. It’s a huge gap. On the flip side, people over 65 were the only age group that actually saw a higher turnout than in 2020. They are the most reliable voting bloc in the country, and it isn't even close.
Education played a massive role, too.
If you had an advanced degree, there was an 82.5% chance you voted.
If you only had a high school diploma? That dropped to about 52.5%.
The Race and Ethnicity Shift
One of the most talked-about stats from the 2024 data is the decline in participation among certain minority groups. Hispanic voter turnout saw one of the biggest dips, falling about 3.1 percentage points compared to 2020.
📖 Related: Who Is More Likely to Win the Election 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
Was 2024 a "Low Turnout" Year?
Not really. Even though we dropped from 2020 levels, 2024 was still the third-highest turnout since 1980. We’re in a high-engagement era, but the "sugar high" of the 2020 election—which was fueled by universal mail-in ballots during the pandemic—has clearly worn off a bit.
In 2024, mail-in voting dropped to 29%, down from 43% in 2020. People went back to in-person voting, with 39.6% showing up on Election Day.
What This Means for the Future
The fact that 85 million people sat out is a major signal. It tells us that for a huge chunk of the country, the current political system feels irrelevant or inaccessible.
If you're looking to understand why the numbers ended up where they did, don't just look at who won—look at who didn't show up. The "Non-Voter" party is the largest political force in America.
Actionable Insights for the Next Cycle
If you want to make sure you're not part of the 85 million next time, here’s how to stay ahead of the curve:
- Check your registration now: Don't wait for the "deadline" rush. Most states let you check online in 30 seconds.
- Request an absentee ballot early: Even if you plan to vote in person, having the ballot at home as a backup is a lifesaver if you get sick or stuck at work on Election Day.
- Look at local races: Many non-voters stay home because they don't like the President, but your local city council or school board has a much more immediate impact on your taxes and neighborhood.
- Help a friend: Data shows people are more likely to vote if someone they know personally asks them to. Be that person.
The 2024 election proved that while millions are engaged, millions more are still waiting for a reason to care. Whether that changes by 2028 depends on whether the parties can actually reach the people who felt left behind this time around.