Joe Biden has already gotten the most votes of any presidential candidate ever

Biden has broken the votes record set by Obama in 2008.

A winner has not yet been declared in Tuesday’s presidential election, but Democratic nominee Joe Biden has already reached one milestone: He’s gotten the most votes of anyone ever to run for the US presidency.

With more than 71 million votes so far, Biden has broken the record previously set by President Barack Obama, who received about 69.5 million votes to win in 2008. The 71 million number gave Biden 50 percent of the popular vote as of Wednesday evening, with President Trump taking 48 percent.

The 2020 election is on pace for a record turnout, with at least 159.8 million Americans voting, according to NBC. That’s the highest turnout rate among eligible voters since 1900. This has bolstered both candidates, with President Trump getting about 68.1 million votes as of Wednesday evening.

Both parties will surely parse the meaning of Tuesday’s results in the days and weeks ahead, but one thing is clear: Even in the midst of a pandemic, American voters came out in unprecedented numbers to make their voices heard.

Biden paid tribute to that fact in a speech to the American people on Wednesday. “Yesterday once again proved that democracy is the heartbeat of this nation,” he said. “Here the people rule. Power can’t be taken or asserted. It flows from the people, and it is their will that determines who will be the president of the United States and their will alone.”