# Where did the 16 million Democratic votes go? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 6, 2024, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786 "2024-11-06T14:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![LoneRhino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lonerhino/32/1311_2.png) [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/191 "2024-11-15T07:52:07Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Kooks on the left are giving kooks on the right a run for their money. The difference is that the kooks on the right are running the party. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/192 "2024-11-23T18:32:31Z")
My 2 oldest grands are Americans. Both were old enough to vote for the first time in 2020. In fact, my grandson did videography work for the Democratic national committee for 2020 which of course was a victim of the pandemic so relied on video stuff. My granddaughter was very “BLM”. Both were unequivocally supportive of Biden. Fast forward to 2024. My grandson (hates Trump) didn’t vote because he “didn’t like either candidate”. My granddaughter married into a “working poor” Republican family. She said they were supporting RFK (I think that was their mutual compromise). When RFK got into bed with Trump, she became very quiet about politics, so while I guess she voted for Trump, she may have canceled out her husbands vote, but don’t know for sure. So, where did the democrat voters go? Lack of enthusiasm for whatever reason? I have learned in my years of working in my Canadian province elections, youth are commonly “left” leaning but are notoriously unreliable. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/193 "2024-11-23T18:44:55Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > The latter half of your statement is a pointer toward the fact that Republicans cannot be trusted with such a process, and an argument in favor of mail-in voting. Given your framework, it’s documented historical fact that Republicans deliberately limit or outright close voting locations in left-leaning areas (say, near colleges) in favor of locations in right-leaning areas, and they also limit access to DMVs and similar ID-issuing agencies in poor areas while making sure they’re easily accessible in rich areas. The thing is, in countries with national IDs, you can’t really do anything without one - you can’t get a job, you can’t open a bank account, you can’t get a driver’s license, etc., so even if it were difficult to get them, everyone still would, regardless of elections. They’ have to. ---
**Author:** ![Ash\_trav511](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@Ash\_trav511](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ash_trav511)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/194 "2024-11-23T22:42:29Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The thing is, in countries with national IDs, you can’t really do anything without one - you can’t get a job, you can’t open a bank account, you can’t get a driver’s license, etc., so even if it were difficult to get them, everyone still would, regardless of elections. They’ have to. 100 % true. Without Aadhar in India it is impossible to do anything for a citizen. Tbh…it’s not really an impediment for voting (voter ID I mean) even here with comparitively low literacy levels and more poverty here. And multiple type of photo IDs issued by the Central (federal) government or state government like Aadhar, Driver’s license, passport, PAN card (photo ID required for filing income tax returns), govt issued employment ID cards etc are accepted for voting. Requirement for ID is not an issue at all here and is in fact supported by all political parties(on the left, middle and right) and almost all the population too. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/195 "2024-11-24T00:59:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The thing is, in countries with national IDs, you can’t really do anything without one - you can’t get a job, you can’t open a bank account, you can’t get a driver’s license, etc., so even if it were difficult to get them, everyone still would, regardless of elections. They’ have to. The Right would freak out about “the Number of the Beast” once again, it’s what they always do when something even vaguely resembling a national ID card comes up. I don’t think it’s politically possible, and even if it was they’d probably build up some alternate economy that didn’t use it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/196 "2024-11-24T01:10:20Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The final difference will probably be around 4M. All the states are now counted to at least 97%, and the current tally is 151.1M votes vs. 155.5M in 2020. So a reduction in turnout of ~4.4M. Of course the difference is more (7M) if you only look at Democrats, but the reasons for that are more obvious. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/197 "2024-11-24T03:48:19Z")
I wonder if at some point we could / should ask a mod to edit the thread title. Maybe something like add “[they hadn’t been counted yet]” to the end of the title. As it is it feels a little conspiracy theory to me, like this is a home for discussion about how the 2020 election was stolen. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/198 "2024-11-24T04:13:30Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > As it is it feels a little conspiracy theory to me, It isnt a _little conspiracy theory_ it is a full out one, as it has been debunked on Snopes and such. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/199 "2024-11-24T04:26:11Z")
90% of it is people who are either bad at math or don’t get how slow some states are at counting votes. At one point the difference _was_ 16M votes. The remaining 10% are still bad at math but turn it into a conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/200 "2024-11-24T04:34:59Z")
Okay, sure, I’ll buy that. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/201 "2024-11-26T21:37:16Z")
Florida, after the embarrassment of 2000, got its act together on counting. And, being as how they’re a solid red state their legislature didn’t do anything to slow the count like R legislatures did in MI and PA. As for explaining Texas, I can’t but then who can? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/202 "2024-11-26T21:45:44Z")
I think that some of the calculus goes like this: Premise 1: It has become an article of faith among Republicans that Democrats cheat in elections. Premise 2: If you believe that your opposition is cheating, it is easier to rationalize cheating yourself. Conclusion: Republicans find it easier to rationalize cheating and therefore are more likely to do it, especially against opponents whom they are being told are in league with "sinister forces"TM. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786.md?page=9)