U.S. ELECTIONS FROM 1992 TO 2016 PRESIDENTIAL VOTE TOTALS BY PARTY
YEAR TOTAL (mil) DEMOCRATE REPUBLICAN OTHER(COMB)
2016 136 65,853,000 62,984,000 7,500,000
2012 128 65,915,000 60,933,000 2,000,000
2008 131 69,490,000 59,948,000 1,800,000
2004 122 59,028,000 62,040,000 1,200,000
2000 104 51,000,000 50,456,000 3,800,000
1996 97 47,401,000 39,197,000 8,900,000
1992 103 44,909,000 39,104,000 19,700,000
- Dems & Reps totals rounded of as is the Total votes
- Others include all other candidates and numbers are rounded of by the % of total
So Using the above table to track the previous seven Presidential Elections the numbers show us some things that are happening. First we can see the total voting has increased by about 33% since 1992. We can also see that 4 out of 7 elections the 3rd party votes were enough to sway the vote. So third party votes are often spoilers though not an actual threat to win. Six out of seven times the Demarcate won the total vote but twice failed to win the Electoral College vote.
Notice the vote in 2008 (Obama’s first election) we almost reached 70 million, but that regressed by 4 million in 2012 with the republicans only increasing about 1 million. The 3rd party vote was about equal. So that means 3 million voters that voted for President Obama originally decide not to vote at all in 2012. We followed that in 2016 with about the same tally. The big difference in 2016 was the major increase in the 3rd party votes which was about 4 to 5 million more than it had been since the 1996 vote.
The republican vote has stayed steady since 2004 while the Democratic vote swayed up 10 million then down 4 million the last two. So what am I seeing here. I see the republicans are around 60 to 62 million voters while the democrats are anywhere from 60 to 70 million voters. We must find a way to get our vote out consistently. That means doing a better job at the grassroot level of keeping voters involved. I think that is one area the republicans have been doing a better job at. It is also why they have taken a lot of state and local offices. Then they use those offices to promote their agenda and feed the local people lies. This is also reflected in our midterm votes where we usually don’t win congressional seats due to that.
I am surprised how republicans can continue to argue about draining the swamp when in 2016 they held all three houses. We must do a better job in the local elections. We need to recruit good people to run in local elections other than just big cities. The good thing I take away from this table is that the Democrat's have the votes to win each year. It is just a matter of getting folks to the polls and overcoming the voter oppression of the republicans, especially in the south. I think this will be like 2018 and the blue wave will run high. So I expect for Democrats to do well this year, but going forward we must keep our enthusiasm high.
My thought for you today is do not wait till November to start worrying about voting. We need to start today, getting registered and registering others as well. Know about polling places and be diligent about any changes. If you see a change between now and election day in your area, make sure to broadcast it. Hand out flyers if necessary. Know what ID you might have. Although I do not like the voter ID law, it is what it is and we need to play the hand we are dealt. Do whatever you need to get the ID. Most states give an ID even without a driver licenses. Proof or residency can be as simple as a water bill or power bill. Let’s fight it later but for now lets make voting priority #1.
Also use early voting if possible. A lot of states make it available especially for elders and folks that have medical issues. Also absentee voting if you will be out of the state, usually no reason needed. Again don’t just worry about you, help out friends and family as well. Find sample ballots to look at (usually published in local papers or online). Make sure you know which blocks to mark and how. Republicans have used the trick of making ballots complicated in order to make democrats vote wrong.
When voting day gets here, make sure you have transportation, call a friend and carry a friend. Public transportation is usually available especially in big cities. Be prepared for long lines. Save some vacation time and take off the day or maybe even a half day. Take something to pass the time. Take a portable power supply for your phone. Take some water and some snacks, maybe even a folding seat that is small but you can take a break in line. By all means if the virus is still around, wear your mask and take hand sanitizer as well. Try to maintain the social distancing, and especially look out for one another. This might be a bad time but this election is critical. Vote like yours’s and your family’s lives depended on it because it really does.
And finally, this is not time for a protest vote. We see how that all worked out in 2016. Let us make job one, getting rid of trump and the republicans, so we can start to repair America. In 2020 we can start working on voting for democrats that can move us in the way that each of us desire. Thanks for reading this and I hope to see you at the voting places come November. VOTE BLUE!