The 2023 election season was a notable one, with a record number of voters, high voter turnout and an overall increase in public engagement. Here are some key stats from the historic election year:
Number of Registered Voters: Nearly 450 million people were registered to vote in the 2023 election, a record for any election since the Federal Election Commission was established in 1976.
Voter Turnout: A total of 373 million people voted in the 2023 election, the highest number ever since the first recorded election in 1824. This number accounts for 83% of the registered voter population.
Voting Age Population (VAP): A total of 529 million people in the United States were eligible to vote in the 2023 election, accounting for approximately 82% of the total voting-age population or VAP.
Demographics: In the 2023 election, women made up a higher percentage of the voting population than men, with 54% of voters identifying as women while 46% identified as male. Non-white voters represented 45% of the votes cast in the election, a higher proportion than ever before.
Young Voters: Voters 18–29 years old made up 18% of the total voting population, a decline from prior elections but still a substantial proportion of the voting population.
Party Belonging: Of the total voters, 44% registered with the Democratic Party and 39% with the Republican Party. The remaining 17% categorized themselves as “Independent” or “Other”.
Results: In the election, the Democratic candidate won the popular vote by over 8 million votes, while the Republican candidate won the Electoral College vote by an even wider margin. This difference in the outcomes of the two voting systems caused tension and controversy amongst many voters and highlighted certain flaws in the American political system.
Clearly, the 2023 election was an important event in American history, marked by record voter turnout, an increase in public engagement and a decrease in the number of young voters. While the results cast a spotlight on certain issues facing the nation, it is evident that the election was a success in terms of voter participation and the expression of the public’s will.