Analysis: What's the record for presidential election turnout?
There have been some bold claims of record-setting turnout in some key states, including Georgia and Michigan.
Overall, heading into Election Day, early and mail-in turnout was actually down compared to 2020, although more people were expected to vote early in that pandemic year.
The 2020 election saw extremely high turnout for a US election. About two-thirds of the voting eligible population – more than 66% – cast a ballot. That was the highest figure since the late 1800s, before women had won the right to vote nationwide.
The election with highest turnout in US history was in 1876, according to the US Elections Project, when nearly 83% of eligible Americans voted. It’s ironic, too, since the results were disputed in multiple states in that election and a special commission ultimately handed the White House to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, the popular vote loser.
Election participation was extremely low in some of the earliest presidential elections, in the early 1800s, when multiple state legislatures appointed electors rather than opening the process to voters.
More recently, in 1996, less than 52% of the voting eligible population took part in the presidential election process. In 2000, the closest modern election, about 54% of eligible voters took part.