For the U.S. presidential elections, 2020 saw about 81.3 million Democratic votes and 74.2 million Republican votes , while 2024 had about 75.0 million Democratic votes and 77.3 million Republican votes. Overall turnout was lower in 2024 than in 2020, and the two parties swapped which one had the larger raw vote total.

By party vote total

Election Democratic votes Republican votes What it shows
2020 About 81.3 million About 74.2 million Democrats led in raw votes.
2024 About 75.0 million About 77.3 million Republicans led in raw votes.

What changed

  • Democratic votes fell by roughly 6 million from 2020 to 2024.
  • Republican votes rose by roughly 3 million over the same span.
  • Total turnout also dipped a bit in 2024 versus 2020.

Important note

These are presidential vote totals , not the number of registered Democrats and Republicans in the country. Party registration is only tracked in some states, so national “how many people are Dems vs GOP” depends on whether you mean votes, registered voters, or party identification.

TL;DR: 2020 favored Democrats in total votes; 2024 favored Republicans, with lower turnout overall.