Honestly, if you looked at the headlines right after Election Day, you might have thought California was just taking its sweet time to count—which it was—but the final tally tells a much deeper story than just a slow bureaucracy. Now that the dust has settled and the Secretary of State has officially certified the results, we have the hard data.
So, let's get into the weeds. Exactly 16,140,044 people voted in California in 2024. That sounds like a massive number, right? It is. But compared to 2020, it's actually a bit of a slump. In 2020, we saw over 17.7 million people cast a ballot. We're looking at a drop-off of about 1.6 million voters, which is kinda wild when you realize the state's population of registered voters actually grew during that same four-year window.
Breaking Down the 2024 California Voter Turnout
When you talk about how many people voted in California in 2024, you have to look at turnout percentages to get the real vibe of the electorate. Raw numbers only tell half the tale.
The certified turnout rate for registered voters landed at 71.43%.
For context, 2020 was a high-water mark at 80.67%. Why the 9% dip? Experts like Mindy Romero from the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC have pointed out that while registration is easier than ever due to automatic DMV registration, getting those people to actually return a ballot is a different beast entirely.
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Mail-in vs. In-person: How We Voted
California is basically a mail-in state now. It's just the way it is. For the 2024 general election, the vast majority of those 16.1 million ballots were delivered by the USPS or dropped in a thick metal box at the local library.
- Vote-by-Mail: 13,034,378 ballots (roughly 80.8% of the total)
- In-Person: 3,105,666 ballots (roughly 19.2% of the total)
It’s interesting to note that in-person voting actually saw a slight bump compared to 2020, even though the total number of voters fell. Maybe people missed the "I Voted" sticker hand-off? Or perhaps the post-pandemic comfort level with crowds finally stabilized.
The "Red Shift" and The Missing Voters
The 2024 results revealed a shift in California's political gravity that a lot of people didn't see coming. While Kamala Harris obviously won the state—this is California, after all—her margin was significantly thinner than Joe Biden’s 2020 lead.
Harris brought in about 9.27 million votes (58.5%).
Donald Trump pulled 6.08 million votes (38.3%).
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If you're doing the math, that's a 20-point margin. In 2020, Biden won by 29 points. That 9-point swing represents a combination of two things: more people voting Republican in traditionally "deep blue" counties and, perhaps more importantly, a lot of Democratic-leaning voters simply staying home.
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) noted that turnout dropped most significantly among young voters and Latino communities. Among those aged 18-24, turnout fell by a staggering 12.7 percentage points. When the youth don't show up, the "Blue Wall" gets a few cracks.
A Look at the Counties
It wasn't just a few places. Trump increased his vote share in 45 out of California's 58 counties. In places like Riverside, San Bernardino, and even Orange County, the margins tightened up considerably.
In Orange County, for instance, the gap shrunk to less than 3 percentage points. It used to be the bastion of Reagan conservatism, then it went blue, and now it’s sitting right on the fence.
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Why the Numbers Dropped
It's easy to blame "voter apathy," but it's usually more complex. Eric McGhee from the PPIC suggested that 2020 was an anomaly. Think about it: in 2020, everyone was stuck at home with nothing to do but watch the news and fill out their ballots. There were no distractions.
In 2024, life was back to normal. People were busy. Also, let’s be real—the "excitement factor" wasn't quite at 2020 levels for a lot of folks.
We also saw a rise in "No Party Preference" (NPP) voters who are historically harder to get to the polls. Even though California mails a ballot to every single registered voter, if you aren't feeling the candidates, that ballot usually ends up in the recycling bin next to the grocery store circulars.
What Happens Next?
Now that we know exactly how many people voted in California in 2024, the state's political machinery is already looking toward 2026 and 2028. The data shows that "ease of voting" (mailing everyone a ballot) doesn't automatically mean "high turnout."
If you want to stay engaged or ensure your voice is heard in the next cycle, here are the most effective steps you can take:
- Check Your Registration Status: Even if you voted this time, addresses change and "inactive" status can happen. Head to the California Secretary of State website to verify your details.
- Track Your Ballot: Use the "Where's My Ballot?" tool for future elections. It gives you a text or email the moment your ballot is mailed, received, and counted. It removes the mystery.
- Research the Primaries: The drop-off in the March 2024 primary was even more severe than the general election. Local offices—DA, Sheriff, School Board—often have more impact on your daily life than the President, and those are often decided in the lower-turnout months.
- Volunteer as a Poll Worker: If you’re worried about the mechanics of the count, get involved. Counties are always looking for people to help process ballots and staff vote centers.
The 16.1 million people who showed up in 2024 defined the state's direction for the next four years. Whether that number grows or shrinks in the next cycle depends entirely on whether the other 6 million registered voters decide the "recycled" bin isn't where their ballot belongs.