U.S. voter turnout on Nov. 5 is projected to be around 65 percent, with more than 158 million ballots counted, according to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab. That number is a dip from the 2020 U.S. presidential election, which registered a historic 67 percent turnout.
U.S. Voter Turnout Over Time
This year, Indonesia (82 percent) and Sri Lanka (79 percent) had some of the highest voter turnout globally. In Indonesia, which holds the largest single-day election in the world, restaurants handed out free food and coffee to voters amid heavy rain. In Sri Lanka, more than 13 million voters headed to the polls for the first time since the country spiraled into an economic crisis in 2022.
Comparison of Global Voter Turnout in 2024 Elections
By contrast, the countries with some of the lowest voter turnout rates this year were Pakistan (48 percent) and Bangladesh (42 percent), where opposition leaders were either barred from running or boycotted the election. The United Kingdom registered its lowest voter turnout in a general election since 2001, despite the Labour Party’s landslide victory. Similarly, South Africa’s voter turnout (59 percent) was the lowest in the country’s 30-year democratic history.
Sources: The Election Project; news reports and various election commission data compiled by FP staff
This post is part of FP’s live coverage with global updates and analysis throughout the U.S. election. Follow along here.