DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 3 Electoral Votes 
link to clickable map
Population 
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Board of Elections and Ethics)
Total Resident Population, July 1, 2019 est.
705,749
Total Registration, Nov. 2020
517,890 >


Government
Mayor: Muriel Bowser (D) elected Nov. 2014, re-elected Nov. 2018.
Legislature: D.C. City Council   13 members
U.S. House: 1D -  Non-Voting Delegate E.H.Norton (D).
U.S. Senate: No Senate Representation. 


Our Nation's Capital
 District of Columbia
Board of Elections and Ethics

DC Democratic Party
DC Republican Committee

DC Libertarian Party
DC Statehood Green Party

Washington Post
Washington Times
Media (Newsp.), 2
TV, Radio

Politics1-DC
Ballotpedia-DC
 

General Election -- Tuesday, November 3, 2020

- In-person voting (early and Election Day):
109,995 (31.75%)

- All mail and special ballots
:
236,496 (68.25%)
Official Results >
             
 
Jorgensen/Cohen (Lib.)
2,036
(0.59)
Hawkins/Walker (StGrn.)
1,726
(0.50)
Biden/Harris (Dem.)
317,323
(92.15)
La Riva/Freeman (Ind.)
855
(0.25)
Trump/Pence (Rep.)
18,586
(5.40)
Pierce/Ballard (Ind.) 693
(0.20)
write-ins 3,137
(0.91)
Total........344,356

Total ballots cast: 346,491.
Overview: As expected Biden/Harris easily claimed the District's three electoral votes, winning by a margin of 298,737 votes (86.75 percentage points).
   In terms of candidate activity, Trump delivered his acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention from the South Lawn at the White House on Aug. 27 and also did several fundraisers at Trump International Hotel.  Biden visited the District only once in the Fall, on Sept. 25 to
pay respects to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the U.S. Capitol
   The DC market did see considerable advertising in the presidential campaign, particularly on cable TV.  According to AdImpact, for the six months from May 1 to Nov. 3, The Lincoln Project spent $5,035,105, Trump for President $1,655,577 and DNC
/Biden coordinated $1,096,780 on cable in the DC market.  Biden for President also spent around $138,000 on broadcast, cable and radio.  Twenty-eight other groups from 45 Committee to Vote Vets ran ads related to the presidential campaign on DC cable, spending from $5,000 to $463,650.
BALLOT [PDF] 

Presidential Primary Election -- Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Registered Voters: 410,260.  Total Ballots Cast: 107,121.  Turnout 26.11%.  —  Election Day votes 33,194, absentee and special ballot votes 73,927.
Democrats
Biden 84,093 (75.97%), Warren 14,228 (12.85%), Sanders 11,116 (10.04%)...  Total 110,668.

45 Delegates: 13 District, 5 At-Large, 2 PLEO, 25 Unpledged.

Republicans
Trump 1,559 (100%)




General Election Winners in the District of Columbia, 1992-2016
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Clinton
84.64%
Clinton
85.19%
Gore
85.16%
Kerry
89.18%
Obama
92.46%
Obama
90.91%
Clinton
90.86%
  and the details...

General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Voting Eligible Population*: 516,771.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 60.2%.

Registration: Dem. 363,642 (76.06%)  Rep. 29,862 (6.25%)  StGrn. 3,621 (0.76%)   Oth. 2,369 (0.50%)   NP 78,599 (16.44%)  ...Total 478,688 >

Registration Deadline: Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016.

In-Person Absentee Voting
: Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016-Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 at One Judiciary Square.
Early Voting Centers: Friday, Oct. 28, 2016-Friday, Nov. 4, 2016.

Election Day Votes
186,326
59.61%
Early Votes
101,077
32.34%
Absentee and Special
25,172
8.05%
Total Ballots Casts
312,575


Official Results >

 
Johnson/Weld (Lib.)
4,906
(1.58)
Stein/Baraka (StGrn.)
4,258
(1.37)
Trump/Pence (Rep.)
12,723
(4.09)
Clinton/Kaine (Dem.)
282,830
(90.86)
write-ins
6,551
(2.10)
Total........311,268

Over Votes  243
Under Votes  1,064
Overview: Clinton/Kaine achieved the 90-percent threshhold set by Obama, while the Trump/Pence ticket obtained an abysmal 4.09% of the vote, resulting in a margin of 270,107 votes (86.77 percentage points).
General Election Visits


General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Voting Eligible Population*: 474,866.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 61.9%.

Registration: Dem. 363,418 (75.13%)   Rep. 30,908 (6.39%)   St.Grn. 4,283 (0.89%)   No Party 83,572 (17.28%)   Other 1,481 (0.31%)   ...Total 483,662

Registration Deadline: Monday, Oct. 15, 2012  (non-postmarked voter registration applications.)  Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 (registration by mail).

Election Day  Votes
191,166
65.84%
Early Votes
57,053
19.35%
Absentee and Special
46,595
15.80%
Total Ballots Casts
294,814


Official Results >

 
+Obama/Biden (Dem.) 267,070 (90.91)
Romney/Ryan (Rep.) 21,381 (7.28)
Stein/Honkala (StG)
2,458 (0.84)
Johnson/Gray (Lib.)
2,083 (0.71)
w/in
772
(0.26)
Total........ 413,890


2012 Overview
Obama didn't quite achieve the 92.46% share of the vote that he had in 2008, but came close with 90.91%. 

DC served an important role as a border state to battleground Virginia.  Both campaigns benefited from DC volunteers travelling to Virginia.  Additionally
DC provided a convenient location for fundraising events.
General Election Details
Obama  |  (Romney)
BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting Eligible Population*: 438,201.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 60.7%.

Registration: Dem. 321,027 (75.22%)   Rep. 30,465 (7.14%)   St.Grn. 4,548 (1.07%)   No Party 63,340 (14.84%)   Other 1,381 (0.32%)  ...Total 426,761.

Election Day Turnout 228,372 85.57%
Absentee Turnout 27,955 10.48%
Provisional Turnout 10,544  3.95%
Total 266,871

Official Results >


+Obama/Biden (Dem.)
245,800
(92.46)
Nader/Gonzalez (Ind.)
958
(0.36)
McKinney/Clemente (Grn.) 590
(0.22)
McCain/Palin (Rep.)
17,367 (6.53)
w/in
1,138
(0.43)
Total........265,853

Over Votes  310
Under Votes  705
2008 Overview
Obama fared better in the District and McCain worse than any presidential candidate since at least 1992.
Obama/Allies |  McCain/Allies  |  Nader

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Voting Eligible Population*: 419,142.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 54.3%.


Registration: Dem. 286,084 (74.52%)   Rep. 30,179 (7.86%)   St.Grn. 5,215 (1.36%)   No Party 60,886 (15.86%)   Other 1,555  (0.41%)   ...Total 383,919.

Election Day Ballots Cast:  203,448 
Absentee and Special Ballots Cast:  26,657 
Total Ballots Cast:  230,105
(59.94% of registered)
Official Results


+Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)
202,970
(89.18)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 
21,256
(9.34)
Nader/Camejo (Ind.) 1,485 (0.65)
Cobb/LaMarche (StGrn.) 737
(0.32)
Write in, if any
506
(0.22)
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)
502
(0.22)
Harris/Trowe (SWP)
130
(0.06)
Total........227,586
 

Over Votes  624
Under Votes  1,883


2004 Overview
Kerry-Edwards' 89.18% showing in the District of Columbia was the highest in the past four elections. 
General Election Details
[Primary Election: September 14, 2004]
General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000
Voting Eligible Population*: 416,696.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 48.3%.

Registration: Dem. 271,380 (76.6%)   Rep. 26,485 (7.5%)   St.Grn. 4,088 (1.2%)   No Party 50,749 (14.3%) UMP and Others 1,708 (0.4%)   ...Total 354,410.
Official Results


Browne/Olivier (Lib.)
669
 (0.33)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
18,073
(8.95)
Nader/LaDuke (DCSG)
10,576
(5.24)
Harris/Trowe (SWP)
114
(0.06)
+Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)
171,923
(85.16)
Write-in
539
(0.27)
Total........201,894


2000 Overview
There were no surprises on Nov. 7 as the Gore-Lieberman ticket swamped Bush-Cheney in the District with a margin of 153,850 votes (76.21 percentage points).  Ralph Nader made a point of campaigning for District votes, visiting Anacostia and holding a super-rally at MCI Center, but he did not make it into double figures. 

A surprising development did occur on Dec. 18, however.  Elector Barbara Lett-Simmons, 73, cast a blank ballot to protest DC's lack of voting representation in Congress, meaning that Gore gained only two of DC's three electoral votes.


1992 and 1996 General Elections

1992
Clinton (Dem.)......192,619
(84.64)
Bush (Rep.)...........20,698
(9.10)
Perot (Ind.)...............9,681
(4.25)
Others (7+w/ins)......4,574
(2.01)
Total........227,572

1996
Clinton (Dem.).....158,220
(85.19)
Dole (Rep.)............17,339 
(9.34)
Nader (Grn.)...........4,780
(2.57)
Perot (Ref.).............3,611
(1.94)
Others (3+w/ins).....1,776 
(0.95)
Total........185,726
Archive Pages: 2016 | 2012 | 2008 | 2004 | 2000