By: Karin Koronen
November 26 2024
Kamala Harris has not won the popular vote in the U.S. election
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A screenshot of the claim. (Source: Threads/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)
Fact-Check
The Verdict False
Donald Trump leads the popular vote with 49.9 percent, ahead of Kamala Harris at 48.3 percent, as vote counting continues in some states.
Context
A Threads post (archived here) claimed, "As the final votes are all counted, it emerges that Kamala Harris won the Presidential Popular Vote by a slim margin," followed by, "Remember that when #Trump claims 'Landslide' or 'Mandate' or 'Popular Support.'"
The post gained traction, sparking heated responses. Some users alleged Trump "almost lost by cheating."
However, official vote tallies as the count continues reveal that Trump remains in the lead among all candidates, although his share remains below 50 percent as of November 26, 2024.
In fact
The popular vote represents the total number of votes cast nationwide for each candidate. Although the count is ongoing, according to the latest data, Donald Trump has won 76.9 million votes or 49.9 percent. Kamala Harris garnered 74.4 million votes, or 48.3 percent. Trump retaining this lead would make him the first Republican to win the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.
Media outlets collect voting data through partnerships with research organizations and official election offices. Many major outlets, such as ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and AP, collaborate via the National Election Pool (NEP). Working for the NEP, Edison Research compiles and analyzes exit poll data, early voting results, and official vote tallies from state and local offices.
A majority occurs when a candidate secures more than half of all votes. Although Trump earned the largest share of the vote, he has not achieved an outright majority so far, as his total is currently below 50 percent. Continued vote counts in Democratic-leaning areas like California have slightly reduced his margin, but his lead in the popular vote remains unchanged.
Although the popular vote and the majority reflect the overall public preference for candidates, electoral college votes, allocated by state, ultimately determine the presidency. A candidate requires a minimum of 270 electoral votes to win. Trump won 312 electoral votes, surpassing the threshold for victory and solidifying his presidency.
The verdict
Donald Trump is set to win both the popular vote and the Electoral College. He would be the first Republican to win the popular vote since 2004.