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Fact check: Why did so many more people vote in 2020 election compared to the 2024 election?
1. Summary of the results
The original question is based on an incorrect premise. The 2024 election did not have significantly lower turnout compared to 2020. While the 2020 election saw approximately 158.6 million votes [1], the 2024 election's final count is projected to be between 155-156 million votes [2]. The current voter turnout percentage stands at 63.7% compared to 2020's 66.6% [3].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original question:
- Vote counting is still ongoing: As of November 12, 2024, many ballots are still being counted [1]. California alone has approximately 5 million ballots yet to be processed [2].
- Historical significance: The 2020 election was historically significant with nearly 160 million voters [4], making it an unusually high benchmark for comparison.
- Geographic factors: Vote counting is still particularly active in left-leaning states like California, Washington, and Oregon [5], which could significantly impact final totals.
- Current numbers: Kamala Harris has received approximately 67 million votes so far, compared to Biden's 81 million in 2020 [1], but this gap is expected to narrow as counting continues.
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original statement contains several problematic assumptions:
- It prematurely assumes the vote counting is complete, when in fact it's still ongoing [1].
- It promotes a narrative of decreased voter participation without acknowledging that the final numbers will likely be close to 2020 levels [5].
- The statement could contribute to election misinformation by drawing conclusions before all votes are counted [6].
Those who benefit from narratives about decreased voter turnout might include political actors seeking to question election legitimacy or media outlets looking for dramatic headlines. However, the actual data shows a more nuanced picture with relatively stable voter participation between the two elections.