# 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:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/151 "2024-11-09T20:23:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Except that apparently, iirc more republicans died that Democrats. I’m certainly not one to minimize Covid deaths, but numerically the number of deaths is a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of millions of Covid infected Americans now with reduced cognitive skills. And they vote. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/152 "2024-11-09T20:25:28Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Then who voted for Biden and didn’t vote this election if not Republicans or Democrats? Any of the majority of voters who don’t align with either party? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/153 "2024-11-09T20:34:25Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > I’m certainly not one to minimize Covid deaths, but numerically the number of deaths is a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of millions of Covid infected Americans now with reduced cognitive skills. And they vote. And those infected, those that didnt practice masking social distancing and of course vaccination- were mostly MAGAs. So, your point doesnt stand. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/154 "2024-11-09T20:40:52Z")
I’m sure you’ll be happy to provide evidence that Covid mostly infected MAGAs, thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/155 "2024-11-09T20:41:17Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Your numbers are wrong. As I said “the latest numbers (as of the morning of November 8).” If the time stamp is accurate, YOU were posting many hours later. _ **If** _ I’d posted “these numbers are correct and will not change” then your post would make sense. As it is: not so much. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/156 "2024-11-09T20:43:35Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > I’m sure you’ll be happy to provide evidence that Covid mostly infected MAGAs, thanks in advance. read this- > [@DrDeth](#): > > And those infected, those that didnt practice masking social distancing and of course vaccination- were mostly MAGAs. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/157 "2024-11-09T20:45:39Z")
So, you’re citing you own post as evidence… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/158 "2024-11-09T21:08:58Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > So, you’re citing you own post as evidence… If you want to deny 🙄 that the MAGAs took less care with > [@DrDeth](#): > > masking social distancing and of course vaccination then take it elsewhere. Otherwise this turns into a hijack about Covid. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/159 "2024-11-09T21:12:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And those infected, those that didnt practice masking social distancing and of course vaccination- were mostly MAGAs. So, your point doesnt stand. Infections have been far from “mostly MAGAs” for some time now, if that was ever true. But even if it were true, that would still means millions of other non-MAGA infections and a huge shift in the decision making capacity of the electorate. I really don’t see how you’re not understanding this, especially as it supports your point about low int voters. There’s even more of them now. Across the board. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/160 "2024-11-09T21:15:46Z")
And I thank you for starting this hijack and then conveniently using said rule to not support your post. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/161 "2024-11-10T02:47:52Z")
[https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2807617](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2807617) # Excess Death Rates for Republican and Democratic Registered Voters in Florida and Ohio During the COVID-19 Pandemic _Overall, the excess death rate for Republican voters was 2.8 percentage points, or 15%, higher than the excess death rate for Democratic voters_ ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/162 "2024-11-10T12:11:04Z")
As of the end of 2022, 75% of Americans had caught covid. > **[How many Americans still haven’t caught COVID-19? CDC publishes final 2022...](https://www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/transmission/2023/07/05/how-many-americans-still-havent-caught-covid-19-cdc-publishes-final-2022-estimates/)** > > CBS News Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults and older teens had still not caught COVID-19 by the end of last year, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, w… And many more have caught it since 2022. The vast majority of Americans had caught covid at least once before this election. Many have caught it multiple times. Damage from infections is cumulative, the more often you catch it, the more likely you are to have long covid symptoms. > **[Experiences of Canadians with long-term symptoms following COVID-19](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00015-eng.htm)** > > This study uses data from the Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey to describe the current COVID-19 landscape, including infection, reinfection, and acute and long-term symptoms. This study also examines how peoples’ experiences with the... I think it’s safe to say that the electorate was more impacted by people _catching_ covid than by people dying of covid. That being said, now that more votes have been counted, what’s the difference in total turnout between 2024 and 2020? ---
**Author:** ![yarblek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/71e660/32.png) [@yarblek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yarblek)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/163 "2024-11-10T13:11:43Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > That being said, now that more votes have been counted, what’s the difference in total turnout between 2024 and 2020? Current estimate is 63.25% in 2024. In 2020 turnout was 66.38%. [https://election.lab.ufl.edu/voter-turnout/2024-general-election-turnout/](https://election.lab.ufl.edu/voter-turnout/2024-general-election-turnout/) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/164 "2024-11-11T19:58:08Z")
Looks like it will be about a 10M vote shortfall from 2020. As close as the swing states were, probably would have made a difference. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/165 "2024-11-11T23:18:45Z")
I’m curious what the dropoff is in the states that are all vote by mail. It could be a good data point to the effects of the pandemic. ---
**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 11, 2024, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/166 "2024-11-11T23:25:58Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Looks like it will be about a 10M vote shortfall from 2020. No, the difference is already down to 9.2M and there are still 4.6M votes left to count in California alone. The final difference will probably be around 4M. I don’t think people here realize how totally incompetent the western states are at counting votes. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/167 "2024-11-11T23:49:46Z")
Incompetence or irrelevance? There’s a three hour lag and everyone already knows how those states will vote. There’s no real reason to hurry through the pile if, by the time you start counting, the answer is already effectively known. ---
**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 11, 2024, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/168 "2024-11-11T23:54:45Z")
Texas and Florida didn’t seem to have a problem. It’s _probably_ largely due to vote-by-mail being so popular, though that doesn’t explain everything. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/169 "2024-11-12T01:22:27Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Then who voted for Biden and didn’t vote this election if not Republicans or Democrats I guess they were the perennial “unlikely voters”. They came out in 2020 because things were just so awful, but in 2024, they regressed to their usual habits. I didn’t think that would happen, but it seems it did. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786/170 "2024-11-12T02:31:43Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I don’t think people here realize how totally incompetent the western states are at counting votes. It’s not incompetence, it’s just how the [system is structured](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/11/us/california-ballot-count-house-election.html). To summarize it seems ~90% of CA ballots are cast by mail these days (mine included), literally millions on election day with posted mail-date qualifying. Mistakes have to be cured by hand, because CA doesn’t automatically disenfranchise somebody because they, say, forgot to sign their envelope. Counties have a full 30 days to certify and not everybody is willing to pay a shit-ton of overtime to rush the process. Personally I don’t mind at all that they take slow to get it right (or as right as reasonably possible, anyway). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-16-million-democratic-votes-go/1009786.md?page=9)