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What was the total popular vote count for Trump and Clinton in the 2016 presidential election?
Executive Summary
The most commonly cited tallies put Hillary Clinton’s 2016 popular vote at roughly 65.85 million and Donald Trump’s at roughly 62.98 million, yielding a margin of about 2.9 million votes and a combined two‑candidate total near 128.8 million. Multiple reputable tallies show small discrepancies of a few thousand votes between data sets; these stem from different certification dates, updates, and source compilations rather than substantive disagreement about the overall outcome [1] [2] [3].
1. Why small numerical differences keep showing up — and why they matter
Different post‑election compilations report slightly different raw totals for Clinton and Trump because states and news organizations completed vote certification and updates on different schedules, leading to variances of thousands, not millions. For example, a CNN/AP certified total reported Clinton at 65,844,954 and Trump at 62,979,879 [1], while other compilations list Clinton at 65,853,514 and Trump at 62,984,828 [2]. These discrepancies reflect later county and state reporting adjustments, minor tabulation corrections, and whether sources include overseas/ provisional ballots consolidated in later updates. The differences do not change the substantive fact that Clinton won the nationwide popular vote by about 2.9 million votes; they only affect the exact digit‑level totals used in particular summaries [1] [2].
2. Cross‑checking the main published tallies — who reports what and when
Major contemporaneous outlets and official result pages published similar but not identical numbers. The Associated Press and outlets that used AP certification reported figures such as Clinton ≈65.844 million and Trump ≈62.979 million [1] [4]. Other compilations updated later to include additional counted ballots show Clinton totals near 65.853 million and Trump near 62.985 million [3] [5]. The Statista figure noted in one analysis lists Trump at 62,980,160 and Clinton at 65,845,063, producing a combined total slightly different from other aggregates [5]. These variations are documented across datasets and are consistent with the common pattern that later certified figures often shift totals by a few thousand votes as states finalize counts [4] [3].
3. The authoritative picture: certified totals and the combined two‑candidate sum
When comparing the sources, the combined two‑candidate popular vote consistently falls in a narrow band around 128.82–128.84 million votes. One source adds Trump’s 62,984,828 and Clinton’s 65,853,514 to give 128,838,342 [2], while another certified compilation lists totals summing to 128,824,246 or 128,825,223 depending on which state updates are included [4] [5]. An official results page cited Trump at 62,985,153 and Clinton at 65,853,677, summing to 128,838,830 [3]. The consensus range across these reputable counts centers on about 128.83 million combined votes, with differences traceable to timing and inclusion rules rather than conflicting methodologies [3] [2].
4. What these numeric nuances mean for interpreting the election
The numeric nuance matters for precise historical recordkeeping but does not alter the central facts: Hillary Clinton received a clear plurality of the national popular vote by approximately 2.9 million votes, while Donald Trump won a majority of Electoral College votes and thus the presidency. Analysts flag that focusing on minute differences between 62.98 million and 62.99 million or between 65.84 million and 65.85 million distracts from more consequential questions about turnout, vote distribution by state, and demographic patterns. The small inter‑source variations are routine in high‑volume election tabulation and reflect finalization processes, not substantive disputes about winners [1] [3].
5. Bottom line for fact‑checking and citation
For citation purposes, use the AP‑certified/news‑aggregated totals reported soon after certification as the standard, noting that later official compilations may adjust figures by a few thousand votes. Representative authoritative figures are Hillary Clinton ≈65.85 million and Donald Trump ≈62.98 million, combined ≈128.83 million [1] [3] [2]. If an exact digit is required, choose a single authoritative source (for example, the AP or the official state certifications aggregated by a primary outlet) and cite that number, but disclose that other reputable compilations record very slightly different totals due to routine certification updates [4] [5].