Honestly, the sheer scale of the 2020 election still feels a little hard to wrap your head around. We were stuck in our houses, wearing masks to get the mail, yet more people showed up to participate in the democratic process than at any other point in American history. It wasn't just a slight uptick. It was a massive, tectonic shift in how we engage with the ballot box.
When you look at how many people voted in 2020, the number is staggering: roughly 158.4 million people.
To put that into some kind of perspective, imagine every single person in the United Kingdom, France, and Australia combined. Now, tell them all to go cast a vote on the same day (or via mail) for the same office. That’s essentially what happened. This wasn't just about the candidates; it was about a nation responding to a global pandemic and a social climate that felt like a tinderbox.
Why the 2020 Turnout Was Actually Historically Weird
For decades, the U.S. had a reputation for being somewhat "meh" about voting. Turnout usually hovered around the low 50s or maybe 60 percent of the voting-eligible population (VEP). Then 2020 hit. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the United States Elections Project, the turnout reached about 66.8% of the citizen voting-age population.
That is the highest rate of the 21st century.
Why? Well, access changed. Suddenly, "excuse-only" absentee voting was out the window in many states. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials realized they couldn't force everyone into a cramped elementary school gym on a Tuesday in November. They sent out ballots. They opened drop boxes. They basically made it as easy as ordering a pizza, and people responded.
But it wasn't just the ease of the process. The "vibe"—if you want to call it that—was intense. You couldn't turn on the TV or scroll through a feed without seeing a reminder of what was at stake. Whether it was the economy, the racial justice protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, or the handling of the pandemic, everyone felt they had skin in the game.
The Raw Numbers: Biden vs. Trump
Let's get into the weeds of the counts. Joe Biden didn't just win; he set a record for the most votes ever cast for a presidential candidate, pulling in more than 81 million votes. Donald Trump also broke records, earning more than 74 million votes—the most ever for a sitting president.
Think about that.
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Even the person who lost the election received more votes than any winner in previous history. This suggests that the 2020 electorate was hyper-polarized but also hyper-engaged. You’ve probably heard people argue about the "silent majority," but in 2020, nobody was silent. Everyone was loud, and everyone was at the polls.
How Many People Voted in 2020 by State?
It’s easy to look at the national number and call it a day, but the U.S. is a patchwork of different rules and cultures. Turnout wasn't uniform. In some places, it felt like a holiday; in others, it was a logistical marathon.
Minnesota usually wins the "gold medal" for turnout, and 2020 was no different. They hit nearly 80% turnout among eligible voters. That’s wild. On the flip side, states like Oklahoma and West Virginia sat much lower, closer to the 50% range.
The battleground states—Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia—saw massive surges. In Georgia, specifically, the turnout was a revelation. High-profile organizing efforts, many led by figures like Stacey Abrams, targeted minority communities that had historically been disenfranchised or overlooked. The result? Georgia saw over 4.9 million people vote, a huge jump from 2016.
The Demographic Breakdown
Who were these 158 million people?
The Census Bureau’s "Current Population Survey" gives us the best peek behind the curtain. Interestingly, the biggest jump in turnout came from the 18-to-24-year-old bracket. Usually, young people are the ones pundits complain about for staying home. Not this time. Their participation jumped significantly, proving that the younger generation was deeply concerned about climate change, student debt, and social equity.
Women also outvoted men, continuing a trend that has existed for years. About 68% of reported eligible female voters cast a ballot compared to 65% of men.
- Asian American turnout rose nearly 10 percentage points from 2016.
- Hispanic turnout also saw a massive spike, though it still lags behind white and Black turnout rates.
- The "Silver Tsunami"—voters over 65—remained the most reliable bloc, with a staggering 76% turnout.
The Mail-In Ballot Revolution
We can't talk about how many people voted in 2020 without talking about the mail. Because of the pandemic, nearly 43% of voters cast their ballots by mail. Another 26% voted in person before Election Day.
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This means that by the time the polls actually opened on Tuesday morning, more than half the country had already voted.
This shift caused a lot of friction. Some people weren't used to it. They saw the "red mirage" or "blue shift" happen in real-time on election night. Because many states—like Pennsylvania—weren't allowed to start counting mail-in ballots until Election Day, the initial results looked very different from the final tally. It created a lot of confusion and, unfortunately, a lot of distrust, despite election experts like Chris Krebs (the former Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) calling it "the most secure in American history."
Challenges to the Count
It wasn't all smooth sailing. There were lawsuits, recounts, and audits. From the "audit" in Maricopa County, Arizona, to the numerous cases brought before the Supreme Court, the 2020 vote count was scrutinized under a microscope.
The reality? The numbers held up.
Recounts in Georgia and Wisconsin didn't change the outcome. What they did do, however, was highlight just how thin the margins can be. In a year where 158 million people voted, the entire election was essentially decided by about 43,000 votes across three key states. That is the definition of "every vote counts."
The Economic and Social Drivers
Money talks. The 2020 election cycle was the most expensive in history, with billions spent on advertising. You couldn't watch a YouTube video without an unskippable ad telling you the world would end if the other guy won.
This level of spending undoubtedly influenced how many people voted in 2020. When you are bombarded with messaging 24/7, the psychological pressure to participate becomes immense. It stops being a civic duty and starts feeling like an existential requirement.
Furthermore, the technology changed. Apps made it easier to register. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook put "Register to Vote" buttons at the top of every feed. It was the first "Digital First" election where the friction of finding your polling place was almost entirely removed.
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Misconceptions About the 2020 Turnout
One big myth is that the high turnout was only a "blue" phenomenon. That's just wrong. Both sides saw massive increases. Donald Trump grew his base by millions of votes compared to 2016. The 2020 election proved that when you make voting easier, everyone uses it—not just one party.
Another misconception is that the "surge" was purely a reaction to Trump. While he was certainly a polarizing figure, many voters were also motivated by local ballot initiatives. Florida, for instance, voted to gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Often, these local issues pull people to the polls who might not even care that much about the name at the top of the ticket.
Looking Toward the Future
The 2020 election changed the rules of engagement. Many of the "emergency" measures—like expanded mail-in voting—became permanent in some states, while others have moved to restrict them. The 2022 midterms and the subsequent 2024 cycle showed that the high engagement of 2020 wasn't necessarily a one-off fluke, but perhaps the "new normal" for a highly plugged-in society.
Knowing how many people voted in 2020 helps us understand the health of our democracy. Even with all the vitriol and the technical hurdles of a pandemic, the system didn't break. People waited in lines. They checked their mailboxes. They took it seriously.
If you're looking to understand the mechanics of the U.S. electorate, 2020 is your textbook. It showed that when the stakes are high, Americans don't stay home.
Actionable Insights for the Next Election
The massive turnout of 2020 teaches us a few practical things for the future. If you want your voice to be part of the next record-breaking number, here is what you need to do:
- Verify your registration early: States purge voter rolls frequently. Don't assume you're still registered just because you voted in 2020. Use sites like Vote.org to check your status.
- Understand your state's deadlines: Every state has different rules for when a mail-in ballot must be postmarked. In 2020, thousands of ballots were disqualified simply because they arrived late.
- Research down-ballot races: The 2020 results showed that while the President gets the headlines, local judges, school board members, and city councilors have a more immediate impact on your daily life.
- Volunteer as a poll worker: One reason 2020 was successful was because a new generation of poll workers stepped up when the usual (and more vulnerable) older volunteers had to stay home for health reasons.
The 158.4 million people who voted in 2020 proved that the American electorate is far from apathetic. Whether that momentum continues depends entirely on the individual voter’s willingness to stay engaged when the "emergency" of a pandemic is gone, but the issues remain.