In 2012, Barack Obama (Democratic) won 332 of 538 electoral votes, defeating Mitt Romney by 126 EV during the Modern Polarization era. In 2020, Joe Biden (Democratic) won 306 of 538, defeating Donald Trump by 74 EV during the Modern Polarization era. Turnout: 58.6% vs 66.6%.
vs
2012
Modern Polarization
Barack Obama
Democratic
Electoral votes
332 of 538
EV margin
126
Popular vote
51.1%
Turnout
58.6%
Runner-up
Mitt Romney (Rep)
Obama won re-election over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney despite high unemployment and slow economic recovery from the 2008 crash. The Obama campaign's sophisticated data analytics and ground game proved decisive, turning out supporters in key swing states. Romney's '47 percent' comment (secretly recorded at a private fundraiser) damaged his image as caring only for the wealthy. Sandy, the superstorm, struck a week before the election, giving Obama a bipartisan moment with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie that reinforced his presidential image.
2020
Modern Polarization
Joe Biden
Democratic
Electoral votes
306 of 538
EV margin
74
Popular vote
51.3%
Turnout
66.6%
Runner-up
Donald Trump (Rep)
Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump in a high-turnout election dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had killed over 230,000 Americans before Election Day. Biden won 81.3 million votes — the most ever recorded — while Trump won 74.2 million, also a record for a losing candidate. Trump refused to concede, claiming widespread fraud, and his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Biden carried Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan — all states Trump had won in 2016.