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Here's a look at the numbers so far.
WASHINGTON — As Election Day wraps up, voter turnout numbers across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia are beginning to reveal how the 2024 presidential election compares to 2020 in terms of engagement and voter participation.
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and record-high mail-in voting, turnout surged nationally and locally. With the 2024 election held under more typical conditions, many were curious whether the high voter enthusiasm of 2020 would carry over. Here's a closer look at this year's turnout so far across the region.
Virginia:
- According to the Virginia Public Access Project, more than 2.3 million Virginians had already cast their ballots as of the day before Election Day, either by mail or early in-person voting. This number, while impressive, falls slightly short of the 2.74 million early votes cast by the same time in 2020. Part of the decrease could reflect the fact that 2020 saw extraordinary mail-in voting due to pandemic concerns, as well as a highly charged election environment. With the return of more typical in-person voting this year, 2024’s turnout in Virginia could still approach 2020 levels by the time all ballots are counted.
Maryland:
- In Maryland, the turnout numbers also reflect strong early voting, although they don’t quite match the 2020 highs. Over 994,000 Marylanders participated in early in-person voting as of November 4, nearing the 1 million mark. With mail-in ballots still coming in, the total could yet climb closer to 2020’s levels. In 2020, early and mail-in voting saw unprecedented numbers, driven by pandemic-related policies that encouraged more remote voting options. This year, Maryland voters are still engaging heavily with early voting options, even as the urgency around mail-in voting has somewhat lessened.
Washington, D.C.:
- In D.C., turnout numbers show 72,221 ballots submitted via drop boxes and an additional 68,435 returned by mail, as reported by the D.C. Board of Elections. With these combined figures, the numbers fall slightly short of the 2020 early voting pace but still indicate high engagement. D.C. voters, like those in neighboring states, appear to have shifted somewhat back to Election Day voting in 2024, especially as the District has also witnessed a return to normalcy with in-person voting options fully open.
The lower turnout compared to 2020 doesn’t necessarily indicate reduced interest in the election but may instead reflect a shift back to traditional voting methods. The 2020 election was marked by unprecedented early and mail-in voting due to COVID-19 precautions. In contrast, the 2024 election sees a more balanced mix of early, mail-in, and in-person voting. The full turnout picture for these jurisdictions won’t be clear until all Election Day ballots are counted, which could take a few days due to variations in processing times for mail-in and provisional ballots.
As results continue to roll in, it remains to be seen how 2024 turnout will compare to 2020’s record highs. The current data, however, suggests that voter engagement in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia remains strong, even if it hasn’t quite reached the historic levels of the last presidential election.
Stay tuned as we continue to update with the latest turnout and election results.
English (US) ·