Joe Biden has defeated President Trump to become the next president of the United States. And he’s gotten the most votes of anyone ever to run for the US presidency.
With more than 75 million votes so far, Biden broke the record previously set by President Barack Obama, who received about 69.5 million votes to win in 2008. The 75 million number puts Biden at more than 50 percent of the popular vote, with President Trump taking 48 percent. Trump has now also broken Obama’s record, having passed the 70 million mark.
The 2020 election is on pace for a record turnout, with at least 159.8 million Americans voting, according to NBC. That’s the highest turnout rate among eligible voters since 1900. This has bolstered both candidates.
Both parties will surely parse the meaning of Tuesday’s results in the days and weeks ahead, but one thing is clear: Even in the midst of a pandemic, American voters came out in unprecedented numbers to make their voices heard.
Biden paid tribute to that fact in a speech to the American people on Wednesday. “Yesterday once again proved that democracy is the heartbeat of this nation,” he said. “Here the people rule. Power can’t be taken or asserted. It flows from the people, and it is their will that determines who will be the president of the United States and their will alone.”
Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?
Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on.
First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.
Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.
It’s important that we have several ways we make money, just like it’s important for you to have a diversified retirement portfolio to weather the ups and downs of the stock market. That’s why, even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)
If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.
Yes, I'll give $120/year
Yes, I'll give $120/year
We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and
Google Pay. You can also contribute via
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67739499/GettyImages_1229426643.7.jpg)
