How did the 2024 election compare to previous elections in terms of voter turnout and security?
Executive summary
The 2024 U.S. general election produced turnout near the historic highs of 2020 — roughly mid‑60s percent of eligible or voting‑age populations depending on the metric — and in many measures was the second‑highest participation rate in a century, though below 2020’s record [1] [2] [3]. Administratively the election was run on a familiar, decentralized federalist model with states deploying expanded early and mail voting options and with domestic and international observers noting both smooth logistics and persistent partisan disputes about security and interference [4] [5] [6].
1. Voter turnout: headline numbers and how 2024 stacked up
National turnout in 2024 fell slightly from 2020’s record but remained extraordinarily high by modern standards: Pew reports a validated turnout of about 64% in 2024 versus 66% in 2020, Ballotpedia and other tabulations put overall eligible‑voter turnout around 63.7%–65.3% depending on the denominator (voting‑age vs voting‑eligible), and the Census CPS estimated 65.3% of the voting‑age population voted in 2024 [1] [2] [3]. Official administrative reporting recorded over 158 million ballots cast and described turnout as roughly three percentage points lower than 2020, while international observers framed the raw numbers as “large” turnout compared with past cycles [4] [5].
2. Composition and political consequences of turnout shifts
Aggregate turnout alone masks who turned out: analysts found that Republican‑leaning eligible voters were more likely to cast ballots in 2024 than their Democratic counterparts, and the net effect was a bigger boost to the Republican presidential ticket compared with 2020 patterns — a shift powered more by differential turnout than massive partisan switching [1] [7]. Pew’s validated‑voter analysis and reporting from AP both conclude that unusually high turnout in 2024 benefited Republicans in several key states, reversing the conventional expectation that higher turnout systematically favors Democrats [1] [8]. State‑level patterns varied markedly — some states and counties recorded record local participation as policy changes (like Michigan’s mail ballot reforms) altered accessibility [9].
3. Administration, methods and operational security developments
Election administrators emphasized early voting, mail ballots and increased use of drop boxes in 2024; EAC reporting shows nearly 15 million mail ballots returned at drop boxes in states that allow them and notes two‑thirds of states used all‑mail or large mail components, while many jurisdictions certified ballots using established chain‑of‑custody and curing procedures [4]. The decentralized state‑by‑state system continued to be the operational backbone — officials and the Election Lab cautioned that certified totals and turnout metrics are compiled differently across states and remain the preferred benchmarks [10] [4]. The U.S. Mission to the OSCE conveyed that 143 million citizens cast ballots and highlighted the scale of early voting [5].
4. Security: assessments, concerns and competing narratives
Multiple official and non‑governmental actors flagged that 2024 saw both extensive preparations against foreign interference and continuing partisan accusations about fraud; U.S. officials and observers warned foreign actors were likely to attempt influence, while international observers and state election offices largely reported that ballots were counted and elections administered without systemic compromise [11] [5] [6]. Public confidence varied by state and constituency: some surveys and state‑level post‑election polling found large majorities viewed results as accurate and secure (cited by state officials in Michigan), even as political campaigns mobilized legal teams, poll watchers and “integrity” hotlines in contested states — actions that critics say amplified distrust even without evidence of widespread fraud [9] [11].
5. Bottom line — what changed and what stayed the same
Compared with prior cycles, 2024 sustained a historically high level of civic participation (second only to 2020 by several measures) and shifted the political payoff of that turnout toward Republicans in many places, driven more by who showed up than by massive vote‑flipping [1] [2] [7]. Administratively the machinery built since 2020 — more early and mail voting, drop boxes, and state certification processes — handled a very large electorate, and observers reported broadly successful implementation even as partisan disputes about security, legal challenges, and fears about foreign interference remained prominent parts of the post‑election narrative [4] [5] [11]. Where reporting or sources do not provide definitive evidence — for example about the net effect of particular security changes on fraud rates — the record shows robust administrative safeguards coupled with polarized public perceptions rather than verified systemic failures [4] [9].