Indiana’s 2024 voter turnout dropped from record-breaking 2020 election
About 2.9 million of Indiana’s 4.8 million registered voters cast a ballot in the general election, according to the Indiana Secretary of State.
Almost 97,000 fewer Hoosiers voted this year than in 2020. That doesn’t include eligible voters that are not registered to vote.
Historical state presidential election totals:
- 2024: 2,971,760 votes cast, 61% turnout
- 2020: 3,068,625 votes cast, 65% turnout
- 2016: 2,807,676 votes cast, 58% turnout
- 2012: 2,663,368 votes cast, 58% turnout
- 2008: 2,805,986 votes cast, 62% turnout
- 2004: 2,512,142 votes cast, 58% turnout
- 2000: 2,245,715 votes cast, 56% turnout
About 3 percent of Hoosiers either left the presidential race blank or voted for a third-party presidential candidate.
Indiana still ranks at the bottom nationally for civic health.
Michael Leppert, a political columnist with the Indiana Capital Chronicle, says the biggest issue Indiana faces with elections is voter apathy. One reason for the apathy, in his opinion, is how little candidates encourage residents to vote.
“For people who are participating in the process right now, they spend all the time talking about persuasive persuasiveness on their policy positions and on their brand, and not nearly enough time on getting people engaged and inspired and motivated and participating in the process,” he said.
The Associated Press reported national turnout, so far, is roughly five million votes shy from 2020’s nearly record-breaking 158 million votes. AP says those margins are slim, and contradict traditional political sentiment that Democrats perform better in high-turnout elections.
