Monday, November 11, 2024

Lynn Voter Turnout Down 14% from 2020 in this Year’s Presidential Election

Among many things, a major part of the 2024 election story centers on the decrease in turnout, particularly among Democratic voters, this year. 

In Lynn, turnout overall was down 14% from 2020 based on the unofficial election results. Ward 1 had the highest turnout this year at 64% (down from 77% in 2020) and Ward 4 the lowest at 40% (down from 56%). 


Mirroring the national trends, less Lynn voters support the Democratic ticket this year compared to 2020. Alternatively, support for the Trump/Vance ticket was up 11.4% over the Trump/Pence ticket. 


Source: Lynn Elections' Office

In Fall River, support for the Republican ticket was reported at 50.7%, reaching a majority for the first time in modern history. According to the Fall River Reporter, top issues included the economy and the migrant issue with one Trump supporter saying: 
“Stop those foreigners from coming in,” he told me. “They’re letting them come in and Trump said that’s not gonna happen. That’s very important to me.”

NBC News also reported that exit polls revealed that the economy was among the top issues of concern for voters. In January 2024, a report on the Emergency Housing Assistance Program revealed that there were 283 migrant families in shelters, hotels or motels in Lynn. That plus a lack of affordable housing in Lynn, the rising costs of groceries and basic goods, concerns around public safety and food insecurity may all be contributing to voter results that match trends statewide and nationwide. 

With many municipal elections on the docket for 2025, it will be interesting to see how a reported shift to the right among voters will impact hyper local, often non-partisan, elections particularly as these races tend to see much lower turnout than in presidential election years.