What was the total number of registered voters eligable to vote in the 2024 presidential election?

1. The headline number: EAC’s 211+ million registered voters

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey reports that "more than 211 million" citizens were active registered voters for the 2024 general election, and it frames that as 86.6% of the citizen voting‑age population ^[1]. That is the clearest single numeric statement in the provided reporting about the total number of people on active registration lists nationwide ^[1].

2. Why the Census CPS percent looks different: VAP vs. CVAP and methodology

The Census Bureau’s CPS Voting and Registration Supplement says 73.6% of the voting‑age population was registered to vote in 2024, a percentage computed against the voting‑age population (VAP) which includes non‑citizens and other ineligible adults; this different denominator helps explain why the CPS percent and the EAC absolute count are not directly comparable ^[2]. The CPS figures derive from a household survey of the civilian noninstitutionalized population and have long been used to analyze turnout patterns by demographic groups, which is why the bureau reports shares rather than a single nationwide registration total ^[2].

3. Crosswalk: reconciling percentages and absolute counts requires knowing the denominator

Converting percentages into a raw count requires clarity about which population is the baseline: the CPS’s 73.6% refers to the entire voting‑age population (which includes noncitizens), while the EAC’s 86.6% is explicitly of the citizen voting‑age population (CVAP) and is paired with its 211+ million registered‑voter total ^{[1] [2]}. Independent data projects and academic groups also publish voting‑eligible population (VEP) estimates and ballots‑counted totals, which produce turnout rates (e.g., UF Election Lab’s VEP turnout work), but those sources focus on turnout rather than a single registered count and use yet another denominator and methodology ^[3].

4. Which figure should be cited when discussing “registered voters eligible to vote”?

When the question is the "total number of registered voters eligible to vote," the EAC’s "more than 211 million active registered voters" is the most directly worded and relevant figure in the supplied reporting because the EAC explicitly ties that count to the citizen voting‑age population and the notion of active registrations ^[1]. The Census CPS percentage is useful context for registration rates relative to the broader voting‑age population, showing 73.6% registered among all adults 18+ ^[2].

5. Caveats, competing datasets and why differences matter

Different official and research bodies emphasize different concepts—active registered voters (EAC), percentage of the VAP that are registered (Census CPS), or turnout among the voting‑eligible population (UF Election Lab, Ballotpedia)—so apparent discrepancies are often methodological rather than factual disputes; for example, turnout rates reported by Pew and Ballotpedia use validated or VEP‑based approaches and report turnout near the mid‑60s percent range, which is distinct from the registration totals ^{[4] [5]}. The American Presidency Project and other aggregators note that county totals and other local datasets can differ from federal surveys, which further underscores the need to match the question to the underlying definition before choosing a number to cite ^[6].

6. Bottom line answer

Based on the reporting provided, the best direct answer is: more than 211 million citizens were active registered voters for the 2024 general (presidential) election, a total the EAC presents as 86.6% of the citizen voting‑age population ^[1]. The Census Bureau’s companion figure that 73.6% of the voting‑age population was registered provides important context but uses a different population base ^[2].