kids encyclopedia robot

List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
US Presidential elections popular votes since 1900
Comparison of the popular vote totals since 1900      Democratic     Republican     All other candidates together

In a United States presidential election, the popular vote is the total number or the percentage of votes cast for a candidate by voters in the 50 states and Washington, D.C.; the candidate who gains the most votes nationwide is said to have won the popular vote. However, the popular vote is not used to determine who is elected as the nation's president or vice president. Thus it is possible for the winner of the popular vote to end up losing the election, an outcome that has occurred on five occasions, most recently in the 2016 election. This is because presidential elections are indirect elections; the votes cast on Election Day are not cast directly for a candidate, but for members of the Electoral College. The Electoral College's electors then formally elect the president and vice president.

The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1804) provides the procedure by which the president and vice president are elected; electors vote separately for each office. Previously, electors cast two votes for president, and the winner and runner up became president and vice-president respectively. The appointment of electors is a matter for each state's legislature to determine; in 1872 and in every presidential election since 1880, all states have used a popular vote to do so.

The 1824 election was the first in which the popular vote was first fully recorded and reported. Since then, 19 presidential elections have occurred in which a candidate was elected or reelected without gaining a majority of the popular vote. Since the 1988 election, the popular vote of presidential elections was decided by single-digit margins, the longest since states began popularly electing presidents in the 1820s.

List

The table below is a list of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin. It is sorted to display elections by their presidential term / year of election, name, margin by percentage in popular vote, popular vote, margin in popular vote by number, and the runner up in the Electoral College.

Key
Parties:       Federalist •       Democratic-Republican •       National Republican •       Whig •       Democratic •       Republican •       Progressive •       Independent
Vote outcomes:        Winner did not receive a majority of the popular vote •        Winner lost the popular vote •        Winner chosen by the House of Representatives
Election Winner and party Electoral College Popular vote Runner-up and party Turnout
Votes  %  % Margin Votes Margin
1788–89 Washington, GeorgeGeorge Washington Ind. 69/69 100% 100% 100% 43,782 43,782 ,No candidate 11.6%
1792 Washington, GeorgeGeorge Washington Ind. 132/132 100% 100% 100% 28,579 28,579 ,No candidate 6.3%
1796 Adams, JohnJohn Adams Fed. 71/138 51.45% 53.45% 6.90% 35,726 4,611 Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson D-R 20.1%
1800 Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson D-R 73/138 52.90% 61.43% 22.86% 41,330 15,378 Burr, AaronAaron Burr D-R 32.3%
1804 Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson D-R 162/176 92.05% 72.79% 45.58% 104,110 65,191 Pinckney,Charles C. Pinckney Fed. 23.8%
1808 Madison, JamesJames Madison D-R 122/175 69.72% 64.74% 32.33% 124,732 62,301 Pinckney,Charles C. Pinckney Fed. 36.8%
1812 Madison, JamesJames Madison D-R 128/217 58.99% 50.37% 2.74% 140,431 7,650 Clinton, DeWittDeWitt Clinton D-R 40.4%
1816 Monroe, JamesJames Monroe D-R 183/217 84.33% 68.16% 37.24% 76,592 41,852 King, RufusRufus King Fed. 23.5%
1820 Monroe, JamesJames Monroe D-R 231/232 99.57% 80.61% 64.69% 87,343 69,878 Adams, John QuincyJohn Quincy Adams D-R 10.1%
1824 Adams, John QuincyJohn Quincy Adams D-R 84/261 32.18% 30.92% −10.44% 113,142 −38,221 Jackson, AndrewAndrew Jackson D-R 26.9%
1828 Jackson, AndrewAndrew Jackson Dem. 178/261 68.20% 55.93% 12.25% 642,806 140,839 Adams, John QuincyJohn Quincy Adams NR 57.3%
1832 Jackson, AndrewAndrew Jackson Dem. 219/286 76.57% 54.74% 17.81% 702,735 228,628 Clay, HenryHenry Clay NR 57.0%
1836 Van Buren, MartinMartin Van Buren Dem. 170/294 57.82% 50.79% 14.20% 763,291 213,384 Harrison, William HenryWilliam Henry Harrison Whig 56.5%
1840 Harrison, William HenryWilliam Henry Harrison Whig 234/294 79.59% 52.87% 6.05% 1,275,583 145,938 Van Buren, MartinMartin Van Buren Dem. 80.3%
1844 Polk, James K.James K. Polk Dem. 170/275 61.82% 49.54% 1.45% 1,339,570 39,413 Clay, HenryHenry Clay Whig 79.2%
1848 Taylor, ZacharyZachary Taylor Whig 163/290 56.21% 47.28% 4.79% 1,360,235 137,882 Cass, LewisLewis Cass Dem. 72.8%
1852 Pierce, FranklinFranklin Pierce Dem. 254/296 85.81% 50.83% 6.95% 1,605,943 219,525 Scott, WinfieldWinfield Scott Whig 69.5%
1856 Buchanan, JamesJames Buchanan Dem. 174/296 58.78% 45.29% 12.20% 1,835,140 494,472 Frémont, John C.John C. Frémont Rep. 79.4%
1860 Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln Rep. 180/303 59.41% 39.65% 10.13% 1,855,993 474,049 Breckinridge, John C.John C. Breckinridge Dem. 81.8%
1864 Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln Rep. 212/233 90.99% 55.03% 10.08% 2,211,317 405,090 McClellan, George B.George B. McClellan Dem. 76.3%
1868 Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant Rep. 214/294 72.79% 52.66% 5.32% 3,013,790 304,810 Seymour, HoratioHoratio Seymour Dem. 80.9%
1872 Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant Rep. 286/352 81.25% 55.58% 11.80% 3,597,439 763,729 Hendricks, Thomas A.Thomas A. Hendricks Dem. 72.1%
1876 Hayes, Rutherford B.Rutherford B. Hayes Rep. 185/369 50.14% 47.92% −3.00% 4,034,142 −252,666 Tilden, Samuel J.Samuel J. Tilden Dem. 82.6%
1880 Garfield, James A.James A. Garfield Rep. 214/369 57.99% 48.31% 0.09% 4,453,337 1,898 Hancock, Winfield ScottWinfield Scott Hancock Dem. 80.5%
1884 Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland Dem. 219/401 54.61% 48.85% 0.57% 4,914,482 57,579 Blaine, James G.James G. Blaine Rep. 78.2%
1888 Harrison, BenjaminBenjamin Harrison Rep. 233/401 58.10% 47.80% −0.83% 5,443,892 −90,596 Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland Dem. 80.5%
1892 Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland Dem. 277/444 62.39% 46.02% 3.01% 5,553,898 363,099 Harrison, BenjaminBenjamin Harrison Rep. 75.8%
1896 McKinley, WilliamWilliam McKinley Rep. 271/447 60.63% 51.02% 4.31% 7,112,138 601,331 Bryan, William JenningsWilliam Jennings Bryan Dem. 79.6%
1900 McKinley, WilliamWilliam McKinley Rep. 292/447 65.23% 51.64% 6.12% 7,228,864 857,932 Bryan, William JenningsWilliam Jennings Bryan Dem. 73.7%
1904 Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt Rep. 336/476 70.59% 56.42% 18.83% 7,630,557 2,546,677 Parker, Alton BrooksAlton Brooks Parker Dem. 65.5%
1908 Taft, William HowardWilliam Howard Taft Rep. 321/483 66.46% 51.57% 8.53% 7,678,335 1,269,356 Bryan, William JenningsWilliam Jennings Bryan Dem. 65.7%
1912 Wilson, WoodrowWoodrow Wilson Dem. 435/531 81.92% 41.84% 14.44% 6,296,284 2,173,563 Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt Prog. 59.0%
1916 Wilson, WoodrowWoodrow Wilson Dem. 277/531 52.17% 49.24% 3.12% 9,126,868 578,140 Hughes, Charles EvansCharles Evans Hughes Rep. 61.8%
1920 Harding, Warren G.Warren G. Harding Rep. 404/531 76.08% 60.32% 26.17% 16,144,093 7,004,432 Cox, James M.James M. Cox Dem. 49.2%
1924 Coolidge, CalvinCalvin Coolidge Rep. 382/531 71.94% 54.04% 25.22% 15,723,789 7,337,547 Davis, John W.John W. Davis Dem. 48.9%
1928 Hoover, HerbertHerbert Hoover Rep. 444/531 83.62% 58.21% 17.41% 21,427,123 6,411,659 Smith, AlAl Smith Dem. 56.9%
1932 Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt Dem. 472/531 88.89% 57.41% 17.76% 22,821,277 7,060,023 Hoover, HerbertHerbert Hoover Rep. 56.9%
1936 Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt Dem. 523/531 98.49% 60.80% 24.26% 27,752,648 11,070,786 Landon, AlfAlf Landon Rep. 61.0%
1940 Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt Dem. 449/531 84.56% 54.74% 9.96% 27,313,945 4,966,201 Willkie, WendellWendell Willkie Rep. 62.4%
1944 Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt Dem. 432/531 81.36% 53.39% 7.50% 25,612,916 3,594,987 Dewey, Thomas E.Thomas E. Dewey Rep. 55.9%
1948 Truman, Harry SHarry S Truman Dem. 303/531 57.06% 49.55% 4.48% 24,179,347 2,188,055 Dewey, Thomas E.Thomas E. Dewey Rep. 52.2%
1952 Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower Rep. 442/531 83.24% 55.18% 10.85% 34,075,529 6,700,439 Stevenson, Adlai IIAdlai Stevenson II Dem. 62.3%
1956 Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower Rep. 457/531 86.06% 57.37% 15.40% 35,579,180 9,551,152 Stevenson, Adlai IIAdlai Stevenson II Dem. 60.2%
1960 Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy Dem. 303/537 56.42% 49.72% 0.17% 34,220,984 112,827 Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon Rep. 63.8%
1964 Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson Dem. 486/538 90.33% 61.05% 22.58% 43,127,041 15,951,287 Goldwater, BarryBarry Goldwater Rep. 62.8%
1968 Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon Rep. 301/538 55.95% 43.42% 0.70% 31,783,783 511,944 Humphrey, HubertHubert Humphrey Dem. 62.5%
1972 Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon Rep. 520/538 96.65% 60.67% 23.15% 47,168,710 17,995,488 McGovern, GeorgeGeorge McGovern Dem. 56.2%
1976 Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter Dem. 297/538 55.20% 50.08% 2.06% 40,831,881 1,683,247 Ford, GeraldGerald Ford Rep. 54.8%
1980 Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan Rep. 489/538 90.89% 50.75% 9.74% 43,903,230 8,423,115 Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter Dem. 54.2%
1984 Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan Rep. 525/538 97.58% 58.77% 18.21% 54,455,472 16,878,120 Mondale, WalterWalter Mondale Dem. 55.2%
1988 Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush Rep. 426/538 79.18% 53.37% 7.72% 48,886,597 7,077,121 Dukakis, MichaelMichael Dukakis Dem. 52.8%
1992 Clinton, BillBill Clinton Dem. 370/538 68.77% 43.01% 5.56% 44,909,806 5,805,256 Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush Rep. 58.1%
1996 Clinton, BillBill Clinton Dem. 379/538 70.45% 49.23% 8.51% 47,400,125 8,201,370 Dole, BobBob Dole Rep. 51.7%
2000 Bush, George W.George W. Bush Rep. 271/538 50.47% 47.87% −0.51% 50,455,156 −538,179 Gore, AlAl Gore Dem. 54.2%
2004 Bush, George W.George W. Bush Rep. 286/538 53.16% 50.73% 2.46% 62,040,610 3,012,171 Kerry, JohnJohn Kerry Dem. 60.1%
2008 Obama, BarackBarack Obama Dem. 365/538 67.84% 52.93% 7.27% 69,498,516 9,550,193 McCain, JohnJohn McCain Rep. 61.6%
2012 Obama, BarackBarack Obama Dem. 332/538 61.71% 51.06% 3.86% 65,915,795 4,982,291 Romney, MittMitt Romney Rep. 58.6%
2016 Trump, DonaldDonald Trump Rep. 304/538 56.50% 46.09% −2.09% 62,984,828 −2,868,686 Clinton, HillaryHillary Clinton Dem. 57.3%
2020 Biden, JoeJoe Biden Dem. 306/538 56.88% 51.31% 4.45% 81,284,666 7,060,347 Trump, DonaldDonald Trump Rep. 66.6%

Timeline

PartyVotes-Presidents
Presidents of the U.S. listed in a timeline graph of elections with results of the popular vote color coded for political parties.
A gray arrow points to the name of a person who became president without having been elected as president (9 total). The double arrow indicates becoming president without having been elected as vice president as well (Ford). 5 other former vice presidents are underlined (14 total). The top line indicates the Presidency number (e.g. Reagan: 40th) with Roman numerals indicating election (and term) number.

See also

  • List of United States presidential elections by Electoral College margin
  • List of United States presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote
  • List of United States presidential candidates by number of votes received
  • National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
Black History Month on Kiddle
Famous African-American Artists:
Emma Amos
Edward Mitchell Bannister
Larry D. Alexander
Ernie Barnes
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.