Why did BOTH Kamala Harris AND Donald Trump lose votes between 2020 and 2024?

[InsecureLivesMatter]

Trump: 75m -> 72m

Biden/Harris: 81m -> 68m

[WindAtMyBack]

Obviously less people voted.

Also, I think third parties got more votes, which I think affected Harris more than Trump. Third party votes actually cost Trump at least two large states in 2020 (which would have made the EC a dead tie). If there were more third party conservatives votes than last time it wasn't obvious. But there were quite obviously more third party liberal votes than last time. I haven't looked at it closely enough to see if third party votes cost Harris any states, but I think it's very possible. I'll get around to looking at that eventually once all the final votes are in.

There are also people like me who voted, but didn't vote for president. So that wasn't a case of voter turnout or voting for a third party either one.

I haven't looked closely at every election, but as far as I know 2020 was the only election in my lifetime where third party votes cost a candidate a state. Even Ross Perot who got double digits in some states didn't change the outcome in any states.

[NathanDavis]

in part, because of gerrymandering... and the electoral college

if you're from an State or district that ALWAYS goes blue or red, and will always go blue or red (which are 40 states) then your vote does not really matter much... because if you vote it makes no substantial difference to win the election, and if you do not vote... then it will not really hurt the result of the election for your party... the State is "guaranteed" to be won for your side... so this is one of the reasons why a lot of people do not vote at all

and if your district was gerrymandered and "relocated" to neutralize and pretty much eliminate the power of your vote.. then yeah, people won't bother to go vote since they are rendered useless

[Anonymous]

Because covid was rampant during the 2020 election so not only was everyone frustrated with it at the time, everyone was out of work and able to go vote. We'd have that kind of turnout every time if election day was a holiday so everyone could go.

[NaultD]

Usa voter turn out is 50% on average. So it's not impossible but extremely unlikely voter turn out could be 25% or even 99% just for shits and giggles for one year. no rhyme or reason it's possible nothing other then people just wanting to vote for one year.

2 or 3 very odd election in a row is something worth investigating but 1 could just be an odd ball year.

2020 wasn't just a shits and giggle kinda year was it? If there was a year where the government was in/on everyone's face everyday it was 2020 with covid19. If there was only one voting election to vote in it was 2020. It was still only 60%.

[exitseven]

The 2020 election was rigged. It was obvious 4 years ago