What the All-Time Popular Vote List Reveals About the Modern Electorate
While the Electoral College is the constitutional mechanism that decides our presidents, the national popular vote remains the rawest measure of a candidate’s connection with the American people. It is a powerful, if unofficial, gauge of the political will of the nation at a single moment in time.
A look at the all-time list of top vote-getters reveals a surprising and distinctly modern story. It is a story about a rapidly growing and increasingly engaged electorate, and a political landscape more polarized than at any point in our recent history.
A Note on the Numbers
Before we begin the countdown, a crucial piece of context is in order. This list is naturally dominated by modern candidates, primarily due to the simple fact of population growth. The United States has grown from 132 million people in 1940 to over 330 million today.
Therefore, comparing raw vote totals across different eras is not a perfect measure of “popularity.” However, this list provides a fascinating look at the sheer scale of modern presidential politics and the massive coalitions required to compete for the White House today.
10. Mitt Romney (2012) – 60.9 Million Votes
In his challenge against incumbent President Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Romney became the first candidate in history to lose a presidential election while still earning more than 60 million votes. His impressive total was a sign of a deeply engaged, but also deeply divided, electorate.
9. George W. Bush (2004) – 62.0 Million Votes
Running for re-election in the first presidential contest after the September 11th attacks, George W. Bush secured a decisive victory over Senator John Kerry. At the time, his 62 million votes set a new record for the most popular votes ever received, and it marked the first time a Republican had won the popular vote since 1988.
8. Donald Trump (2016) – 62.9 Million Votes
In his first run for the presidency, Donald Trump’s 62.9 million votes were a testament to his ability to mobilize a powerful new coalition of voters. This is the first of his four appearances on this list and a powerful “teaching moment” on the Constitution, as he won the presidency via the Electoral College despite this vote total being nearly three million less than his opponent’s.
7. Hillary Clinton (2016) – 65.8 Million Votes
As the first female presidential nominee of a major party, Hillary Clinton shattered the popular vote record for a losing candidate, a record that would stand for only four years. Her nearly 66 million votes highlighted the deep partisan split in the country and fueled a renewed, and still unresolved, debate over the role of the Electoral College.
6. Barack Obama (2012) – 65.9 Million Votes
In his successful re-election campaign, President Obama won a clear majority of the popular vote. While slightly less than his 2008 total, this number was, at the time, the second-highest vote count in American history, solidifying his status as a dominant political figure.
5. Barack Obama (2008) – 69.4 Million Votes
Barack Obama’s historic 2008 campaign, fueled by a message of “Hope and Change,” did more than just win the White House; it shattered all previous records. His nearly 70 million votes, achieved during a year with the highest voter turnout in decades, set a new standard in American politics and signaled the arrival of a new, more diverse electorate.
4. Donald Trump (2020) – 74.2 Million Votes
In the record-breaking 2020 election, incumbent President Donald Trump received over 11 million more votes than he did in his 2016 victory. This total would have won any other election in American history handily, but in the face of unprecedented turnout, it made him the popular vote runner-up. It remains the most votes ever cast for a losing candidate.
3. Kamala Harris (2024) – 75.0 Million Votes
Despite her loss in the 2024 election, Vice President Kamala Harris earned the third-highest popular vote total in American history. Her 75 million votes are a testament to the immense scale of the modern electorate and the intense motivation of voters on both sides of the political divide.
2. Donald Trump (2024) – 77.3 Million Votes
In his victorious 2024 campaign, Donald Trump not only won the Electoral College but also became the first Republican in 20 years to win the national popular vote. His 77.3 million votes represent the second-highest total ever recorded, second only to his 2020 opponent.
1. Joe Biden (2020) – 81.2 Million Votes
The all-time record for the most popular votes ever received by a presidential candidate belongs to Joe Biden. His staggering 81.2 million votes in the 2020 election were the product of a perfect storm: a nation grappling with a pandemic, a deeply controversial incumbent, and the highest voter turnout in over a century.
Honorable Mentions: The Landslide Legends
While their raw vote totals don’t make the modern list due to population growth, it is a civic duty to remember some of the most dominant popular vote victories in history.
- Ronald Reagan (1984): Won 49 of 50 states with 58.8% of the popular vote. His 54.4 million votes were a record at the time.
- Richard Nixon (1972): Also won 49 states with a staggering 60.7% of the popular vote.
- Lyndon B. Johnson (1964): Won with the highest share of the popular vote in modern history, 61.1%, in the election following the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
These landslide victories represent a level of national consensus that seems almost unimaginable in today’s deeply polarized America.