Visual Tool

How Close Were the 2020 and 2024 Elections? State by State

Every vote matters—these numbers prove it. See the razor-thin margins that decided the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.

Why This Matters

In 2020, the presidential election was decided by just 43,000 votes across three states (Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin). In 2024, the margin was wider nationally, but individual states were still decided by percentages that would fit in a football stadium. Look at Wisconsin—decided by 0.9% in 2024 after a 0.6% margin in 2020. Georgia flipped from a 0.2% Democratic win to a 2.1% Republican win. These are not landslides. These are coin flips with consequences.

Click on any state below to see its full 2026 election guide, with voter registration deadlines, key races, and everything you need to show up.

Democratic margin

Republican margin

| Bars show margin of victory. Longer = bigger win. Margins are approximate from official results.

Key Takeaways

🎯 Wisconsin: Decided by 0.6% in 2020, 0.9% in 2024

That's roughly 21,000 votes in 2020 and 30,000 in 2024 out of over 3 million cast. One medium-sized town could have changed the result. Your vote is not symbolic here—it's decisive.

🔄 Georgia: Flipped from D+0.2% to R+2.1%

In 2020, Biden won Georgia by about 12,000 votes—the closest margin in the country. In 2024, Trump won it back by about 115,000 votes. The margin shifted by 2.3 percentage points. State politics can change fast.

📊 Pennsylvania: From D+1.2% to R+2.1%

Pennsylvania went from one of the closest states in 2020 to a solid Republican win in 2024—a 3.3-point swing. But the margin is still small enough that a strong ground game and turnout operation could flip it again.

🏠 Minnesota: Still Blue, But Shrinking

Minnesota's Democratic margin dropped from 7.1% in 2020 to 4.3% in 2024—a 2.8-point shift. It's still blue, but the trend is concerning for Democrats who have long considered it a safe state.

Note: Margins shown are approximate based on certified 2024 presidential results and official 2020 results. Small discrepancies may exist due to rounding or final certification adjustments. Source: state election offices and Federal Election Commission data.

Frequently Asked Questions

How close was the 2020 presidential election?

The 2020 presidential election was decided by roughly 43,000 votes across three states: Georgia (won by Biden by ~12,000), Arizona (won by ~10,500), and Wisconsin (won by ~20,600). The national popular vote margin was wide, but the Electoral College came down to a handful of voters in a handful of states.

How close was the 2024 presidential election?

In 2024, Donald Trump won the Electoral College with a wider margin than 2020, but several states were still decided by less than 2%. Wisconsin was decided by 0.9%, Michigan by 1.4%, and Pennsylvania by 2.1%. The closest swing state was Wisconsin, decided by roughly 30,000 votes out of over 3 million cast.

Which state had the closest presidential margin in 2020?

Georgia had the closest 2020 margin — Biden won by 0.2%, or about 12,000 votes, out of 5 million cast. That's roughly the population of a small town deciding the outcome for the entire state.

Do these margins show that my vote matters?

Yes. In 2020, the presidential election was decided by ~43,000 votes across three states — fewer people than fit in a typical football stadium. In 2024, Wisconsin was decided by ~30,000 votes. In swing states, a few thousand voters deciding to show up — or not — can flip the outcome.

Your Vote Matters. These Numbers Prove It.

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How Close Were the 2020 and 2024 Elections? State by State

Why This Matters

Wisconsin

Michigan

Georgia

Pennsylvania

New Hampshire

Nevada

North Carolina

Minnesota

Arizona

Virginia

Ohio

Colorado

Florida

Texas