Voter turnout in this year’s presidential election is expected to close in on a record high set in 2020. Independent voters turned out in high volumes, passing Democratic voter participation. 

Voters are still being counted in many states, and those compiled so far and anticipated final totals show a range of turnout across the nation. Records set in 1980 are expected to be exceeded in 11 states. State-level data prior to 1980 is not available. 

Many of the seven key battleground states are on track to surpass records. Voter participation in Wisconsin was a percentage point higher than a high set in 2004, in which 3 out of 4 eligible voters cast a ballot. In both Michigan and Arizona, voter turnout passed 2020 numbers by two percentage points. 

Early voting, including mail and early in-person voting, heavily boosted turnout. Michigan reported higher volumes of early voting this year than in 2020, when mail voting was encouraged due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While voter turnout in the 2024 presidential election will not exceed the high point of 2020, it will go down as the second-highest in the past century. Voter numbers surpass other modern high marks, including Barack Obama’s 2008 win. 

Independent voters turnout tops Democrats, tied with Republicans for the first time

In a U.S. election first, independent voters turned out in recent history’s highest numbers, according to Edison Research.

Independent voters accounted for a larger share of voters in Tuesday’s election than Democrats and were tied in numbers with Republicans, according to Edison Research exit polling data. 

The data marked the first time the Edison recorded independents’ share of overall turnout exceeded one of the major political parties. 

Independent voters took up 34 percent of national voters, according to the latest update of the exit poll. Republicans also accounted for 34 percent and Democrats trailed with 32 percent. 

The exit poll found independent voter turnout was up 8 percentage points on Tuesday from the 2020 election, when at 26 percent it fell behind both Democrats and Republicans. 

ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News partner exclusively with Edison Research for election coverage and data.

Similar to the 2020 presidential election, independent voters favored the Democratic candidate — Vice President Kamala Harris. However, former President Donald Trump improved his performance with the key swing voters, upping a 4 percentage point improvement from 2020, with 45 percent of voters polled saying they voted for the Republican. Roughly 50 percent of independents polled said they voted for Harris. 

Independent voter Nancy Tomaska, 66, of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, cast her ballot on Nov. 5 for Harris. Tomaska said she worried for a second Trump term, as she thinks he threatens democracy. 

Tomaska said she worries Trump will have a fascist approach to his second term, and this is a top concern for her in the election. 

“I understand inflation is a top issue for many people, and of course, I’m concerned about that, but my overriding concern is for the future of this country,” she said. 

Tomaska said she aligned with some of Harris’ policies but was largely drawn to the vice president because of her distrust of Trump. 

“I don’t think she will try to overthrow democracy,” she said. “And the way I’m concerned that Donald Trump would, so that’s a huge part right there. I probably align more with some of her initiatives than I would of Donald Trump.” 

Disillusioned by both political parties, Donna Pinczkowski has written in her vote on the ballot for the past four presidential elections. 

Pinczkowski, 78, of Waukesha, WI, said she didn’t see the qualities she looks for in a candidate in either Trump or Harris. 

“I want the leader of our country to be admirable, honest, truthful, and to want to help the people in our country who need the most help,” she said. 

Advertisements from the candidates’ campaigns during the contentious election did not bode well with Pinczkowski, who said she is turned away by negative ads. 

Instead of voting for a particular political party, Pinczkowski said she would rather pencil in her preferred candidate. 

“I just prefer saying how I feel about wishing that we had had a candidate come forward who was God-fearing and loves our country the most,” she said.