Turnout soared in 2020 as nearly two-thirds of eligible U.S. voters cast ballots for president
Americans voted in record numbers in last year’s presidential election, casting nearly 158.4 million ballots.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Americans voted in record numbers in last year’s presidential election, casting nearly 158.4 million ballots.
Even as younger generations gain representation in Congress, older generations still make up the majority of senators and representatives.
Putting minimum wage policy in the hands of lawmakers is one of several ways in which the U.S. approach stands apart from other countries.
Mail-in ballots accounted for just over half of this year’s primary votes cast in the 37 states (plus D.C.) for which data is available.
Votes cast on Election Day have grown steadily less significant over the past several election cycles as a share of total votes cast.
Here’s a look back at some of the closest races of elections past and an assessment of just how common such races are.
In the 2016 general election, voters submitted nearly 33.5 million mail ballots, but more than 400,000 (1.2% of the total) weren’t counted.
Looking back at presidential elections since 1828, the winner’s electoral vote share has, on average, been 1.36 times his popular vote share.
The last year the Postal Service recorded any profit was 2006, and its cumulative losses since then totaled $83.1 billion as of March 31.
We developed this explainer to help people understand how, and why, the complex U.S. electoral process is even more so this time around.
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