What was the voter turnout percentage in the 2020 US presidential election?
Executive summary
The 2020 U.S. presidential election produced an unusually high turnout: roughly two‑thirds of adult citizens cast ballots, with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey estimating 66.8% of citizens 18 and older voted and major analysts rounding that to about 66% [1] [2]. Different organizations report slightly different figures depending on whether they measure citizens, the voting‑eligible population, or registered voters, which explains widely circulated 66–67% ranges [3] [4].
1. What the headline number was — and who published it
The most commonly cited official estimate comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Current Population Survey Voting and Registration supplement, which reported that 66.8% of citizens aged 18 and over voted in November 2020 and that about 155–158 million people cast ballots (the Census release and contemporaneous press reporting give these totals) [1] [3]. Pew Research Center and other demography analysts summarize the turnout as roughly 66% and describe 2020 as the highest turnout in more than a century by that measure [2].
2. Why small differences appear in reporting
Confusion arises because “turnout” can mean several things: share of citizens 18+ who voted (Census’s 66.8%), share of the voting‑eligible population (VEP), or share of registered voters; media outlets sometimes quote rounded figures or alternative datasets and therefore report 66%, “nearly 67%,” or 67% of registered voters [1] [4] [5]. The Pew analysis frames the figure as a 66% turnout rate and notes its historical context (highest since 1908), while outlets like The Guardian and some aggregators used phrasing such as “more than 67%” when describing related estimates or headline takeaways [2] [4].
3. The scale and context behind the percentage
The Census tables show turnout varied sharply by age, education, race and gender — for example, turnout rose with age and was highest among those 65–74, while overall participation by younger cohorts was much lower than older voters [1]. Total ballots counted were on the order of 155–158 million, a figure reported alongside the percentage to underline the election’s scale [3] [1]. Analysts attribute the turnout surge to high political engagement, pandemic‑era voting adaptations (more mail and early voting), and intense polarization [2] [4].
4. How to read the figure responsibly
When citing the 2020 turnout, specify the measure: the Census Bureau’s 66.8% refers to citizens 18 and older based on the Current Population Survey; other measures (VEP or registered voters) and alternate methods of rounding produce slightly different numbers in press accounts [1] [2] [5]. Independent trackers and academic centers (e.g., Pew, CIRCLE) corroborate that turnout was the highest in decades and often offer subgroup breakdowns or validated‑voter analyses that show similar but not identical rates depending on methodology [2] [6].
5. Bottom line
The best‑documented, official figure is that 66.8% of U.S. citizens 18 and older voted in the 2020 presidential election, a turnout level widely reported and summarized as “about 66%” or “nearly 67%” in major analyses, with minor variation depending on which population base or survey method is used [1] [2] [3].