You’ve probably seen the headlines. Every four years, there’s this massive buildup about whether "the people" will actually show up. But when you look at the raw data for how many vote in presidential election cycles, the reality is a bit messier than just a single number on a screen.
Honestly, we just came off a period of record-breaking participation. In 2020, we saw the highest turnout since 1908. People were stuck at home, mail-in ballots were everywhere, and the country was, well, incredibly tense. Fast forward to November 2024, and things shifted again. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s official data released in April 2025, about 154 million people cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election.
That sounds like a lot, right? It is. It represents 65.3% of the citizen voting-age population. But compared to 2020, where 66.6% of eligible folks showed up, it was a slight dip. Basically, we’re seeing a "new normal" where more than 60% of the country is consistently engaged, even if the 2020 peak felt like a bit of an outlier.
Breaking Down the 2024 Turnout: Who Actually Showed Up?
If you want to understand the numbers, you have to look at the demographics. It's not a monolith. The 2024 election proved that voting habits are deeply tied to age, education, and where you live.
Older Americans are basically the "power users" of democracy. If you’re 65 or older, there’s a 74.7% chance you voted in 2024. Compare that to the 18-to-24 crowd, where less than half—47.7% to be exact—actually made it to the polls. It’s a massive gap.
The Education Factor
There’s also this huge divide based on schooling.
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- Advanced degree holders: 82.5% turnout.
- Bachelor’s degree holders: 77.2% turnout.
- High school graduates: 52.5% turnout.
It's pretty wild. If you have a college degree, you’re almost twice as likely to vote as someone who didn't finish high school. This isn't just a random stat; it's a trend that Pew Research Center has tracked for decades. Higher education usually correlates with higher income and more "roots" in a community—things like owning a home or staying in one place for a long time.
Why Some People Sat It Out
When the Census Bureau asked non-voters why they stayed home, the answers weren't exactly shocking. About 19.7% said they just weren't interested. Another 17.8% said they were too busy with work or school. Interestingly, 14.7% didn't like any of the candidates.
How 2024 Changed the Game Compared to 2020
For a long time, the conventional wisdom was that high turnout always helped Democrats. The logic was that "infrequent voters" tended to be younger and more diverse, which usually meant blue votes.
2024 blew that theory out of the water.
Data from the American Trends Panel shows that Donald Trump actually won the "new and returning voter" group by a significant margin—about 54% to 42%. These were people who skipped the 2020 election but decided 2024 was the year to jump back in. On the flip side, the "drop-offs"—people who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 but didn't show up for Kamala Harris in 2024—were a huge factor in the outcome. About 15% of Biden’s 2020 supporters simply didn't vote this time around.
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The Battleground Effect
Where you live matters just as much as who you are. If you live in a "safe" state like Oklahoma or Hawaii, turnout tends to be lower—around 50-55%. But if you're in a battleground? The numbers skyrocket.
In 2024, the average turnout in the seven major swing states was roughly 70%.
- Wisconsin: 76.4%
- Michigan: 74.7%
- Pennsylvania: 71.2%
When you feel like your vote actually decides the presidency, you’re way more likely to wait in line. Michigan and Wisconsin were especially active, showing that when the margin of victory is expected to be razor-thin, the "instrumentality" of a vote—the feeling that my vote is the one that tips the scale—becomes a real motivator.
Method of Voting: The Shift Away from Mail
One of the biggest stories regarding how many vote in presidential election cycles is how they do it. 2020 was the "Year of the Mail-In Ballot" because of the pandemic. 43% of people voted by mail back then.
In 2024, that dropped to 29%.
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Instead, we saw a surge in "Early In-Person" voting. About 30.7% of voters went to a polling place before Election Day. It seems like the American public has decided they like the convenience of early voting, but they’re moving back toward the physical experience of casting a ballot rather than trusting the mailbox.
What This Means for the Future
Looking at the trajectory from 2000 to 2024, we are in a high-participation era. Even with the slight dip in 2024, we are still seeing significantly more engagement than we did in the 80s or 90s.
If you're trying to keep track of these numbers for your own civic participation or just out of curiosity, here are a few actionable things to keep in mind for the next cycle:
- Check your registration early: Most people who don't vote fail at the registration stage. In 2024, about 26% of eligible citizens weren't even registered.
- Watch the "Drop-off" trends: The biggest move in 2024 wasn't people switching sides; it was people choosing to stay home. Engagement is more about "getting out the vote" than "changing minds."
- Education is the strongest predictor: If you're involved in community outreach, the data says that reaching out to those without college degrees is where the biggest "untapped" voter pool exists.
The 154 million people who voted in 2024 proved that despite the noise and the exhaustion, the American electorate is still remarkably active. Whether that trend continues into 2028 will depend on if the candidates can convince that 35% of non-voters that showing up is actually worth their time.