Elections are a cornerstone of democracy.
They determine the leadership and direction of a nation.
This article is a comprensive review of key U.S Presidential Election statistics over the years, and we'll be covering quite a few topics!
Here's everything we'll cover:
- Presidential Election Electoral College Votes (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Popular Vote Margin (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Voter Turnout Rate (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Youth Voter Turnout (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Voter Turnout By State (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Number of Early Voters (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Number of Mail-In Ballots (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Voter Age Groups (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Key Issues 2024 (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Campaign Spending (U.S.)
- Presidential Election Top Donors 2024 (U.S.)
Presidential Election Electoral College Votes (U.S.)
In the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, Donald Trump received 312 electoral votes, while Kamala Harris received 226 electoral votes.
This was a significant shift from the 2020 election, where Joe Biden won with 306 electoral votes against Donald Trump's 232.
In the 1984 election, incumbent Republican President Ronald Reagan won a landslide victory, securing 525 electoral votes, while the Democratic candidate Walter Mondale received only 13 electoral votes.
Here's a table of the Republican and Democratic electoral college votes over the years since 1980:
| Year | Republican Electoral Votes | Democratic Electoral Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 312 | 226 |
| 2020 | 232 | 306 |
| 2016 | 304 | 227 |
| 2012 | 206 | 332 |
| 2008 | 173 | 365 |
| 2004 | 286 | 251 |
| 2000 | 271 | 266 |
| 1996 | 159 | 379 |
| 1992 | 168 | 370 |
| 1988 | 426 | 111 |
| 1984 | 525 | 13 |
| 1980 | 489 | 49 |
Source:
U.S. Census BureauPresidential Election Popular Vote Margin (U.S.)
Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate in 2020, received 81,283,501 popular votes, accounting for 51.3% of the total votes cast.
The Republican candidate, Donald Trump, received 74,223,975 votes or 46.8% of the total votes cast in the same year.
Here's a table with the number of presidential election popular votes per candidate, and the popular vote margin (percentage) for each candidate:
| Year | Candidate | Popular Vote | Popular Vote Margin (Percentage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Joe Biden | 81,283,501 | 51.3% |
| 2020 | Donald Trump | 74,223,975 | 46.8% |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | 62,984,828 | 46.1% |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton | 65,853,514 | 48.2% |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | 65,915,795 | 51.1% |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney | 60,933,504 | 47.2% |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | 69,498,516 | 52.9% |
| 2008 | John McCain | 59,948,323 | 45.7% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | 62,040,610 | 50.7% |
| 2004 | John Kerry | 59,028,444 | 48.3% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush | 50,455,156 | 47.9% |
| 2000 | Al Gore | 50,992,335 | 48.4% |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton | 47,402,357 | 49.2% |
| 1996 | Bob Dole | 39,198,755 | 40.7% |
| 1992 | Bill Clinton | 44,909,889 | 43.0% |
| 1992 | George Bush | 39,104,545 | 37.4% |
| 1988 | George H.W. Bush | 48,886,097 | 53.4% |
| 1988 | Michael S. Dukakis | 41,809,074 | 45.7% |
| 1984 | Ronald W. Reagan | 54,455,075 | 58.8% |
| 1984 | Walter F. Mondale | 37,577,185 | 40.6% |
| 1980 | Ronald W. Reagan | 43,642,639 | 50.4% |
| 1980 | Jimmy Carter | 35,480,948 | 41.0% |
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Presidential Election Voter Turnout Rate (U.S.)
The voter turnout rate in the 2020 election was 66.6%, the highest in over a century, with 159,340,500 Americans casting their ballots. Thats a 10% increase from the 60.1% turnout in 2016.
The significant rise was due to higher political engagement and more mail-in ballots cast during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here's a table of the U.S Presidential Election turnout rate as well as the turnout numbers over the years:
| Year | U.S Turnout Rate | U.S Presidential Election Turnout Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 66.6 | 159,340,500 |
| 2016 | 60.1 | 138,788,930 |
| 2012 | 58.6 | 130,367,420 |
| 2008 | 61.6 | 131,398,960 |
| 2004 | 60.1 | 122,291,480 |
| 2000 | 54.2 | 105,326,860 |
| 1996 | 51.7 | 96,342,950 |
| 1992 | 58.1 | 104,382,460 |
| 1988 | 52.8 | 91,650,240 |
| 1984 | 55.2 | 92,570,400 |
| 1980 | 54.2 | 86,524,880 |
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Presidential Election Youth Voter Turnout (U.S.)
Youth voter turnout (ages 18-29) surged to 55% in the 2020 election, an 11 percentage point increase from 44% in 2016.
This is the highest youth turnout since 1972 when it also reached 55.4%.
Below is a table of the eligible U.S youth (18-29) turnout in presidential elections since 1972:
| Year | Turnout of Eligible U.S Youth (18-29) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 55% |
| 2016 | 44% |
| 2012 | 45% |
| 2008 | 51.1% |
| 2004 | 49% |
| 2000 | 40.3% |
| 1996 | 39.6% |
| 1992 | 52% |
| 1988 | 43.8% |
| 1984 | 49.1% |
| 1980 | 48.2% |
| 1976 | 48.8% |
| 1972 | 55.4% |
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Presidential Election Voter Turnout By State (U.S.)
In 2020, Minnesota had the highest voter turnout at 79.4%, up from 74.2% in 2016.
Maine followed with 76.3%, and Iowa saw a significant increase to 73.2% from 68.6% in 2016.
Below is a table showing the five U.S. states with the highest voter turnout in presidential elections over the years:
| Year | Minnesota | Maine | Wisconsin | Iowa | Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 79.4% | 76.3% | 73.2% | 72.4% | 71.5% |
| 2016 | 74.2% | 72.8% | 68.6% | 70.5% | 70.3% |
| 2012 | 76.4% | 66.4% | 66.3% | 65.6% | 63.5% |
| 2008 | 77.8% | 71.6% | 69.6% | 71.7% | 65.8% |
| 2004 | 74.1% | 70.7% | 67.2% | 69.8% | 61.2% |
| 2000 | 69.5% | 67.5% | 60.6% | 59.9% | 56.3% |
| 1996 | 64.7% | 63.4% | 57.3% | 56.6% | 48.1% |
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
On the flip side, states like Hawaii had the lowest turnout at 51.5%, only slightly higher than 47.3% in 2016.
Here's a table of the five U.S. states with the lowest voter turnout in presidential elections over the years:
| Year | Texas | West Virginia | Arkansas | Oklahoma | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 60.1% | 57.0% | 56.9% | 55.0% | 51.5% |
| 2016 | 51.4% | 50.8% | 54.1% | 52.4% | 47.3% |
| 2012 | 49.7% | 46.7% | 50.3% | 50.2% | 47.3% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | 49.9% | 52.9% | 51.2% | 51.8% |
| 2004 | 47.3% | 48.9% | 51.4% | 49.2% | 51.5% |
| 2000 | 44.4% | 44.8% | 50.3% | 51.2% | 46.8% |
| 1996 | 44.9% | 45.6% | 48.4% | 48.3% | 45.8% |
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Presidential Election Number of Early Voters (U.S.)
Early voting in 2020 soared to unprecedented levels, with 69.6% of voters casting their ballots before Election Day, either by mail or in person.
This is a substantial increase from 40.2% in 2016, rising by 29.4 percentage points.
Below is a table showing the percentage of early voters compared to those who cast their ballots on Election Day:
| Year | Early Voters (%) | In-person on Election Day (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 69.6% | 30.4% |
| 2016 | 40.2% | 59.8% |
| 2012 | 32.8% | 67.2% |
| 2008 | 30.7% | 69.3% |
| 2004 | 20.7% | 79.3% |
| 2000 | 13.8% | 86% |
| 1996 | 10.5% | 89.5% |
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Presidential Election Number of Mail-In Ballots (U.S.)
Mail-in ballots accounted for 43% of all votes in the 2020 election, totaling 68,516,415 ballots.
This is more than double the 21% (29,145,675 ballots) in 2016, reflecting a 22 percentage point increase.
Here's a table showing the percentage of mail in ballots, as well as the total number of mail in ballots cast over the years:
| Year | Percentage of Mail in Ballots | Number of Mail in Ballots |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 43% | 68,516,415 |
| 2016 | 21% | 29,145,675 |
| 2012 | 18.5% | 24,109,972 |
| 2008 | 16.4% | 21,542,846 |
| 2004 | 12.9% | 15,748,599 |
| 2000 | 10.2% | 10,743,337 |
| 1996 | 7.8% | 7,516,748 |
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Presidential Election Voter Age Groups (U.S.)
In 2020, voters aged 45-64 were the largest age group, making up 34.7% of all voters. This is a decrease of 2.9 percentage points from 37.6% in 2016 indicating a slight drop in participation.
In 2020, voters aged 65 and older made up 25.7% of all voters, up from 24.2% in 2016, showing more participation among older voters.
The 18–29 age group also saw a slight increase to 16.5% from 15.7% in 2016.
The 30–44 age group also saw small increase to 23.2% of voters in 2020 compared to 22.5% in 2016.
Here's a table showing voter participation rates across different age groups over the years:
| Year | 18–29 years old (%) | 30–44 years old (%) | 45–64 years old (%) | 65 years and older (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 16.5% | 23.2% | 34.7% | 25.7% |
| 2016 | 15.7% | 22.5% | 37.6% | 24.2% |
| 2012 | 15.4% | 23.1% | 39.1% | 22.3% |
| 2008 | 17.1% | 24.8% | 38.7% | 19.5% |
| 2004 | 16.6% | 27.3% | 37.6% | 19.0% |
| 2000 | 14.3% | 30.0% | 35.5% | 20.0% |
| 1996 | 14.9% | 31.8% | 33.0% | 20.3% |
| 1992 | 17.7% | 33.1% | 30.2% | 19.0% |
| 1988 | 18.1% | 32.0% | 30.5% | 19.4% |
| 1984 | 21.7% | 30.2% | 30.4% | 17.7% |
| 1980 | 22.3% | 28.4% | 32.5% | 16.8% |
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Presidential Election Key Issues 2024 (U.S.)
The economy is the top issue for voters in 2024, with 81% considering it a high priority. This concern is even higher among Trump supporters at 93%, compared to 68% of Harris supporters.
Health care, Supreme Court appointments, and foreign policy also rank highly.
Climate change is a significant issue for Harris supporters (62%) but less so for Trump supporters (11%), showing the differing priorities between the voter bases.
Below is a table showing the key issues voters have going into the 2024 presidential election. It shows the priorities of all voters, Harris supporters, and Trump supporters:
| Issue | All Voters (%) | Harris Supporters (%) | Trump Supporters (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 81% | 68% | 93% |
| Health care | 65% | 76% | 55% |
| Supreme Court appointments | 63% | 73% | 54% |
| Foreign policy | 62% | 54% | 70% |
| Violent crime | 61% | 46% | 76% |
| Immigration | 61% | 39% | 82% |
| Gun policy | 56% | 59% | 53% |
| Abortion | 51% | 67% | 35% |
| Racial and ethnic inequality | 37% | 56% | 18% |
| Climate change | 37% | 62% | 11% |
Source:
Pew ResearchPresidential Election Campaign Spending (U.S.)
Democratic campaign spending soared to $3.16 billion in 2020, a 279% increase from $834 million in 2016.
Republican spending rose to $828.68 million in 2020 from $668 million in 2016, for a 24% increase.
Here's a table of the Democratic and Republican party campaign spending over the years:
| Year | Democratic Campaign Spending | Republican Campaign Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 2024* | $915.3 million | $352.66 million |
| 2020 | $3.16 billion | $828.68 million |
| 2016 | $833.85 million | $668.13 million |
| 2012 | $774.2 million | $626.11 million |
| 2008 | $1.14 billion | $625.05 million |
| 2004 | $517.68 million | $365.76 million |
| 2000 | $176.19 million | $385.3 million |
| 1996 | $128.93 million | $304.25 million |
| 1992 | $155.16 million | $115.5 million |
| 1988 | $183.43 million | $191.91 million |
| 1984 | $149.2 million | $77.25 million |
Source:
StatistaPresidential Election Top Donors 2024 (U.S.)
Donald Trump's largest contributor in the 2024 election cycle, was investor Timothy Mellon, who donated $165 million.
Other large campaign donors include the Adelson Clinic and SpaceX.
Below is a table of Donald Trump's top donors in the 2024 presidential election:
| Donald Trump 2024 Top Donors | Contribution Amount |
|---|---|
| Investor/Timothy Mellon | $165,000,000 |
| Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse Treatment & Research | $100,000,000 |
| SpaceX | $74,956,983 |
| America First | $16,256,267 |
| Building America's Future | $16,000,000 |
Source:
OpenSecretsKamala Harris's top contributors were FUTURE FORWARD USA ACTION with $56.18 million, followed by American Bridge 21st Century and Bloomberg LP.
Below is a table of Kamala Harris's top donors in the 2024 presidential election:
| Kamala Harris 2024 Top Donors | Contribution Amount |
|---|---|
| FUTURE FORWARD USA ACTION | $56,188,072 |
| American Bridge 21st Century | $31,089,065 |
| Bloomberg LP | $19,138,096 |
| Democracy PAC | $15,150,000 |
| Greylock Partners | $11,029,200 |
Source:
OpenSecretsConclusion
That's all for our collection of U.S Presidential Election statistics over the years!
U.S citizens wrap up their voting on November 5th, 2024, and it will be interesting to see how the presidential election plays out, and which of the two candidates are elected!
As new presidential election (2024) statistics are released, we'll make sure to add them to this article and keep you updated on all the key stats regarding the election!
