Many U.S. citizens recall 2020 as one of the worst years of their lives. With the COVID-19 pandemic, constant political corruption, and several natural disasters raging through the country, it’s surprising to think that anything empowering could have come out of that year. Yet, the 2020 Presidential Election activated the highest voter turnout in over 120 years. Which, to us, is a mark of positivity amidst a dreadfully negative year.

So how did this happen? Why did it happen? Well, for starters, we could probably look at the 2018 midterm election to get a glance at what would be in store for 2020. According to the Brookings Institute, these midterms brought a voter turnout increase of 50% from the 2014 midterms. As you probably remember, votes for the Democrat’s House Candidates surged dramatically, completely changing the dynamic of the House of Representatives under President Trump’s reign.

It’s no secret that he was a controversial figure, no matter where you lay on the political spectrum. His candidacy and presidency rang in a host of firsts for U.S. politics. His actions made some people very happy (thus, inspiring them to go out and vote) and some people very angry (pushing them also to go out and vote, so as to end it).

All in all, there was a public downpour of anger in 2020 and the years leading up to it. Studies show that anger is a big motivator when it comes to voting. The aspect of politics or society that incited the anger doesn’t really matter; the emotion has the power to mobilize people on all sides. So, maybe the year (and entire presidential term) that drained us of hope actually gave us something that we forget about during times of neutrality: the power of our voice and our vote.