Dems, MAGA Exchange Fraud Claims as 2024 Voter Turnout Falls 16 Million Below 2020 Levels
TOI Correspondent from Washington:
The Democrats, reeling from their recent election loss, are now raising concerns about voter fraud and conspiracy theories. Preliminary figures reveal a staggering 13 million drop in ballots for Kamala Harris compared to Joe Biden’s numbers in 2020.
According to provisional data, Donald Trump has garnered approximately 72.5 million votes (50.9%) nationwide, while Kamala Harris has secured around 68 million votes (47.8%). In contrast, Biden received over 81 million votes (51.3%) in 2020, compared to Trump’s 74 million (46.8%). Overall, voter turnout was 155 million in 2020 (during the pandemic) but has decreased to just 139 million in 2024.
Harris supporters are questioning how such a significant drop in votes could occur for a candidate who, by their accounts, energized large crowds and enthusiasm during her vibrant campaign. The overall voting drop of 16 million is also concerning.
While some analysts suggest that 13 million Democrats (or those who voted Democratic) in 2020 simply chose to stay home for various reasons (such as sexism, racism, lack of enthusiasm for Harris, or her policies), some Harris supporters are alleging election fraud, blaming it on everything from Russian interference to actions by Elon Musk.
They are also highlighting quotes from Trump during the campaign, where he appeared to downplay the need for votes, saying things like, “we don’t need the votes…I have so many votes,” and “don’t worry about voting…we have all the votes we need.”
Despite these mixed messages, preliminary analysis of voting data and exit polls suggests that Trump has successfully energized his MAGA base much more effectively than Harris has motivated Democratic voters. Many Democrats seemed to have opted out of voting for her, despite her significant financial support, organized campaign, and robust ground operations. In contrast, the MAGA campaign was more chaotic, with only Trump and Elon Musk leading the charge.
Interestingly, Trump gained support from Latino and Black men, who voted for him in larger numbers than in 2020, while Harris struggled to attract the expected support from women. In fact, across almost every state and county, Harris underperformed compared to Biden in 2020, while Trump exceeded his own numbers from 2020 and 2016, indicating a surprising surge for the MAGA movement.
It’s worth noting that just before the polls closed, Trump alerted his social media followers about potential election fraud, mentioning disturbances in Philadelphia and warning that “law enforcement is coming!” However, there were no further updates from him as the counting began.
While Harris supporters lament the 13 to 16 million votes they believe are “missing” from the 2024 elections, Trump supporters fired back, claiming that the numbers suggest Democrats stole the 2020 election, a claim frequently made by Trump. One post on X read, “The scariest thing about the 2024 election is that someone created almost 20 million Democrat votes out of thin air in the 2020 election but decided not to do it in 2024.”
