TurboVote User Turnout Surged Past National Average in 2024

During the 2024 general election cycle, TurboVote helped drive voter registration and turnout well above national averages, demonstrating the power of personalized reminders and reliable election information to close participation gaps. Among TurboVote subscribers registered to vote, 79% cast a ballot, outperforming the national turnout rate of registered voters by 15 percentage points (79% vs. 64%). 

Democracy Works and our nearly 200 TurboVote partner organizations directly engaged young voters, first-time voters, and infrequent voters, groups that often stay on the sidelines. Together, we helped hundreds of thousands of users cast their first ballot and turned out our users under 25 years old at a rate of 72%, far surpassing the national youth turnout rate of 56%. By actively engaging these underrepresented voters, TurboVote and our partners helped build a more representative electorate in 2024.

Registration and turnout impact

TurboVote’s voting guidance and election information made a measurable difference in getting people registered and turning them out to vote. Compared to national averages, TurboVote subscribers were more likely to both register and cast a ballot.

Among all TurboVote subscribers active through the 2024 election cycle, we successfully matched 76% to state voter files as registered voters. Of this group, 79% voted in the general election, significantly outpacing the estimated 64% national turnout of registered voters.

These results reinforce the value of consistent, trusted reminders to help voters navigate deadlines and make a plan to cast their ballot.

Of registered TurboVote users who voted, we observed a variety of voting methods:

• 20% cast a ballot by mail
• 25% voted early in person
• 25% voted at the polls on Election Day
• 1% cast a provisional ballot
• 28% have an unknown voting method, mainly due to differences in how/whether states report this data.

First-time and infrequent voters

Beyond boosting overall participation, TurboVote had a noticeable impact on the voters who most often face barriers to participation. TurboVote helped narrow age, experience, and engagement gaps that typically hold back a truly representative democracy.

• TurboVote’s reach among younger voters was significant. While only 8% of the general electorate was aged 18-24, this group made up 37% of TurboVote’s registered users. These young voters turned out at a rate of 72%, well above the 56% turnout among their peers nationally.
• 28% of TurboVote’s registered users were first-time voters, compared to 13% nationally. These voters turned out at 86%, dramatically exceeding the 57% turnout typical of first-time voters.
• 55% of registered TurboVote users were infrequent voters, compared to 32% in the overall electorate. They turned out at 89%, well above the 65% turnout among infrequent voters nationwide.

TurboVote’s impact in 2024 demonstrates the vital role of personalized voter engagement tools and effective partnerships in expanding participation. By helping younger, first-time, and infrequent voters register and cast their ballots at rates higher than national averages, TurboVote contributes to a more representative electorate. 

Looking ahead, these results set the stage to continue closing participation gaps in future elections and ensuring more voters have the information they need to make their voices heard.

About this report

This report covers the impact of TurboVote on voter participation in the 2024 general election. It includes anyone who signed up for TurboVote election reminders, provided a registration address, and remained subscribed through the 2024 election.

TurboVote measures registration and turnout by matching user data to official state voter files, using a process developed by Democracy Works and information from voter file vendor TargetSmart. While voter file matching is the industry standard, it does come with known limitations; studies from Pew Research Center highlight occasional mismatches or missing data inherent to these files.

Nearly 200 partner organizations worked with TurboVote in 2024 to encourage their audiences to register and vote, amplifying our impact across diverse communities.