Voter turnout is one of the clearest measures of how Americans participate in elections but when, where and how an election is held can make a big difference.
According to the MIT Election Lab, nearly 156.8 million Americans cast ballots in the 2024 presidential election, with turnout reaching about 64% of the voting-eligible population. Presidential elections consistently draw far more voters than midterms, state elections and off-year contests.
Who votes also varies. Research shows that older, wealthier, more educated and married Americans tend to vote at higher rates, while women now vote at slightly higher levels than men. Campaigns can make a difference too: in 2024, turnout averaged 72% in states where the presidential race was decided by five points or less, compared with 61% in states where the margin exceeded 30 points.
Read more about voter turnout in this MIT Election Lab explainer: https://electionlab.mit.edu/research/voter-turnout
