The 2024 presidential election saw a remarkable surge in voter turnout, nearly matching the historic levels of the 2020 race. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the high turnout contradicted the belief that Republicans struggle in high-participation elections. Over 153 million ballots were cast in the contest between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, with additional votes still being counted in slower-reporting states like California. This turnout approached the record-breaking 158 million votes in the 2020 election, the highest since women gained the right to vote.
Political scientist Eitan Hersh noted that Trump's presence in the race significantly boosted voter participation across party lines. Despite Trump's victory in both the Electoral College and popular vote, leading Harris by nearly 2.5 million votes nationwide, the outcome challenged the notion that Democrats benefit more from high-turnout elections.
