Imagine a map of the United States on election night. Instead of the usual sea of red and blue, there is a third color. Gray. If you mapped the 2020 or 2024 elections by counting people who stayed home, the gray would swallow most of the country. Seriously. In many states, the "did not vote" block is actually larger than the totals for the winner or the loser. It’s a ghost candidate that wins almost every year.
If Did Not Vote Was A Candidate, the Map Flips
People love to argue about swing states. Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona—they are the centers of the political universe every four years. But there’s a massive group of people sitting on the sidelines that would make a landslide look like a tiny ripple. In the 2020 election, which had the highest turnout in over a century, about 80 million people still didn't cast a ballot. That’s roughly 33% of the eligible population. If did not vote was a candidate, they would have walked away with a staggering number of electoral votes.
👉 See also: Is Senator Hoffman a Democrat? What You Need to Know About His Record
It’s not just a "lazy" problem. That’s a common myth. People stay home for a million reasons. Some feel the system is rigged. Others are working two jobs and can’t get to the polls. Some just hate both options. When you look at the data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, you see a pattern. Non-voters tend to be younger, have lower incomes, and are more likely to be renters rather than homeowners. They aren't a monolith, but if they all showed up for one person, that person would be untouchable.
The Math of the "None of the Above" Party
Let’s look at the 2016 election for a second because it’s the clearest example of this phantom candidate's power. Donald Trump won about 63 million votes. Hillary Clinton won about 66 million. But about 100 million eligible voters stayed home. If did not vote was a candidate, "None of the Above" would have won the popular vote by a margin of 34 million people.
That is a terrifying number for a democracy. It basically means the "winner" of the presidency is often chosen by a minority of the total eligible population. In 2016, Trump was elected by roughly 26% of eligible voters. That’s it. One quarter of the country decided the path for everyone else.
Why the Ghost Candidate Wins
Why does this happen? Well, it’s complicated.
Political scientists like Yanna Krupnikov have studied why people tune out. It’s not always apathy. Sometimes it’s "news fatigue." When the political environment feels like a constant screaming match, people just... close the tab. They check out. They decide that their life doesn't change regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.
- Voter Suppression: This is a real, documented factor. From strict ID laws to the closing of polling places in specific neighborhoods, the friction of voting stops thousands.
- The Electoral College: If you are a Republican in California or a Democrat in Mississippi, you might feel like your vote is a drop of water in the ocean. It doesn't "count" toward the final tally in a way that shifts the outcome.
- Lack of Representation: A lot of non-voters feel like neither party actually talks to them. If you’re a gig worker worried about healthcare and both candidates are arguing about things that feel like "Beltway drama," you might just stay in bed.
It's kinda wild when you think about it. We spend billions on campaign ads, but the biggest "party" in America is the one that doesn't show up.
The Myth of the "Lazy" Non-Voter
Stop calling them lazy. Honestly.
A study by the Knight Foundation surveyed 12,000 chronic non-voters. They found that these folks follow the news less, sure, but they also have a deep-seated lack of faith in the integrity of the system. They aren't sitting on the couch eating chips because they don't care; they are staying home because they don't believe the "product" on the shelf works.
If did not vote was a candidate, their platform would basically be: "None of this matters to my actual life."
In 2020, we saw what happens when you make it easier. Mail-in ballots and early voting periods saw turnout skyrocket. Even then, the "Did Not Vote" candidate still held a massive share of the population. It suggests that while "friction" is a problem, "alienation" is a much bigger one.
What if We Forced the Issue?
Some countries, like Australia, have compulsory voting. You get a small fine if you don't show up. In those places, turnout is usually over 90%. If the U.S. did that, the entire political landscape would shift overnight. Parties would have to stop catering only to "likely voters" (who tend to be older and wealthier) and start talking to the people who currently comprise the "did not vote" block.
Right now, campaigns use "micro-targeting." They ignore the people who don't vote and double down on the ones who do. It’s a feedback loop. Because non-voters are ignored, they feel invisible. Because they feel invisible, they don't vote. Because they don't vote, they are ignored.
The Regional Impact
Look at the "Rust Belt." In 2016, the margins in states like Wisconsin were razor-thin—around 22,000 votes. The number of people who stayed home in Milwaukee alone could have flipped the state three times over.
When you realize that did not vote was a candidate who won the majority in these key areas, you realize how fragile our electoral outcomes really are. We aren't a country divided 50/50. We are a country divided 30/30/40, with the 40% being the ones who stayed home.
The Role of Third Parties
Usually, people say, "If you don't like the main two, vote third party!" But that hasn't really worked in the U.S. system. Why? Because the "Did Not Vote" candidate is much more attractive. It requires zero effort. Voting third party often feels like "throwing your vote away" to many, so they opt for the ultimate protest: silence.
✨ Don't miss: Riley Gaul and Emma Walker: What Really Happened Behind the Headlines
How to Actually Engage the "Invisible Candidate"
If you're tired of seeing the same ghost win every year, the solution isn't just "shaming" people on Twitter. That actually makes it worse. People don't vote when they feel judged; they vote when they feel heard.
1. Focus on local issues. National politics is a circus. Local politics is where your trash gets picked up and your schools get funded. Non-voters are often more likely to engage when the impact is visible on their own street.
2. Support structural reform. Things like Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) can help. It allows people to vote for who they actually want without feeling like they are "spoiling" the election. It makes the "Did Not Vote" candidate less appealing because you have more than two narrow lanes.
3. Address the time barrier. Making Election Day a federal holiday or expanding permanent mail-in voting is a massive step. You can't vote if you're stuck in a warehouse shift until 8:00 PM.
4. Realize the power of the margin. If even 10% of the "Did Not Vote" block decided to pick a side, they would decide every single election for the next century. That is the real power. They are the sleeping giant of American politics.
Next time you see an election map, look for the gray. Look for the millions of people who felt that none of the names on the paper represented their hopes or their fears. That "candidate" is the most powerful force in the country, and until someone learns how to speak to them, they will keep winning.
To see the actual impact in your area, check out the Non-Voter Mapping Project or look up your specific county’s turnout rates on your Secretary of State’s website. Comparing the "winner's" total to the "did not vote" total is a sobering exercise in how our democracy actually functions.
📖 Related: Dana Perino Fox News: Why the "Voice of Reason" Still Dominates Your Morning Screen
Next Steps for Understanding Voter Turnout:
- Check your registration: Use Vote.org to ensure you aren't part of the "did not vote" block by accident due to registration purges.
- Research local candidates: Often, the people running for City Council or School Board have a more direct impact on your daily life than the President.
- Volunteer for non-partisan turnout: Organizations like When We All Vote work to lower the barriers to entry for first-time voters.