There were 859,750 more votes cast in the 2020 presidential election than four years ago, reflecting an increase in voter turnout and the different methods New Yorkers were able to cast ballots this year. 

But overall turnout compared to four years ago increased only slightly, from 68% in 2016 to about 70% this November.

The state Board of Elections on Thursday certified New York's election results, with Democratic President-elect Joe Biden securing more than 60% of the vote over Republican President Donald Trump. 

All told, Biden and his running mate Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received 5,230,985 votes in New York. That is an increase of 674,867 votes received by the Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine in 2016. 

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence also received more votes this year, a 425,265-vote increase to 3,244,798 ballots cast. 

All told, there were 8,661,735 votes cast this election year in the presidential race out of 12.3 million active voter enrollment in the state.

New Yorkers this year were able to cast ballots through early voting for the first time in a presidential election. And voters were given expanded access to absentee ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voters were encouraged by officials to either vote early or cast their ballots by absentee in order to limit crowds at the polls on Election Day. More than 2 million people voted early in the days leading up to the Nov. 3 election, and more than 1.7 million absentee ballots that were cast.

New York is a deep blue state, with Democrats holding a vast enrollment advantage over Republicans that has grown in recent election cycles. Voters not enrolled in a party now outpace the number of Republicans enrolled in the party in New York. 

The state has not voted to elect a Republican president since 1984, when Ronald Reagan was re-elected to a second term.

The state's electors will meet on Dec. 14 to cast their 29 electoral votes for Biden and Harris. It is not yet clear how the Electoral College will meet given the pandemic, but constitutionally, they are required to vote in person at the state Capitol in Albany.