Salt Lake, Utah — Presidential Election Results
Salt Lake, Utah has voted Democratic in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Democratic in 2016. In 2024, it was 32.7 pts more Dem. than Utah overall.
Jump to year: 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024
Full Election History, 2000–2024
| Year | Winner | Party | Votes | Vote Share | Margin | Total Votes Cast | Swing | Vs. Utah |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Republican | 171,585 | 55.8% | 20.8 pts (64,009 votes) | 307,258 | — | 20.5 pts more Dem. |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Republican | 215,728 | 59.6% | 22.0 pts (79,779 votes) | 362,138 | +0.2 pts | 24.0 pts more Dem. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 176,988 | 48.7% | 0.1 pts (296 votes) | 363,749 | +22.8 pts | 29.1 pts more Dem. |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney | Republican | 223,811 | 58.6% | 20.3 pts (77,664 votes) | 381,799 | -21.1 pts | 28.3 pts more Dem. |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton | Democratic | 175,863 | 42.0% | 9.0 pts (37,820 votes) | 418,868 | +33.0 pts | 36.8 pts more Dem. |
| 2020 | Joseph R Biden Jr | Democratic | 289,906 | 53.0% | 10.9 pts (59,732 votes) | 546,581 | -0.6 pts | 32.9 pts more Dem. |
| 2024 | Kamala D Harris | Democratic | 273,658 | 53.7% | 10.2 pts (52,103 votes) | 509,637 | -1.0 pts | 32.7 pts more Dem. |
Population Context
Total Census Bureau population estimate for the county that year, and recorded votes as a share of that total population. This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
| Year | County Population | Votes Cast (% of Population) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 901,018 | 34.1% of population |
| 2004 | 934,140 | 38.8% of population |
| 2008 | 999,553 | 36.4% of population |
| 2012 | 1,063,956 | 35.9% of population |
| 2016 | 1,120,109 | 37.4% of population |
| 2020 | 1,187,028 | 46.0% of population |
| 2024 | 1,216,274 | 41.9% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Salt Lake shifted 33.5 points toward the Democratic candidate, based on recorded county returns. This reflects the vote totals in this dataset only; no claim is made here about the causes of that shift.
Margin Over Time
Democratic candidate's margin (percentage points, two-party vote share). Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.
Bellwether Status
Salt Lake has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Utah's own statewide winner in 3 of 7 (43%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other Utah Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Salt Lake voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Salt Lake has voted Democratic in 4 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 3 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Salt Lake?
Salt Lake's closest recorded margin was in 2008, when Barack Obama (Democratic) won by 0.1 points (296 votes) out of 363,749 total votes cast.
Has Salt Lake ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Salt Lake changed which party won the county in: 2008, 2012, 2016, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Salt Lake?
The widest margin on record for Salt Lake was in 2000, when George W. Bush (Republican) won by 22.9 points.
How many votes were cast in Salt Lake relative to its population?
In 2024, 509,637 votes were recorded in Salt Lake against a total population of 1,216,274 (41.9% of the total population). This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
Is Salt Lake a presidential bellwether county?
Salt Lake has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Utah's own statewide winner in 3 of 7 (43%).