Results of the 59 US Presidential Elections

I. Introduction

The chart below shows the candidates, popular votes, electoral votes, and the five times a candidate won despite losing the popular vote in all 59 US presidential elections.

Democrats (party founded in 1828) are shown in blue and Republicans (party founded in 1854) in red. Elections in early US history are shown in black when no party equivalent could be determined.

Four of the five candidates in history who won the presidency while losing the popular vote were Republicans (Hayes in 1876, Harrison in 1888, Bush in 2000, and Trump in 2016). The first time a candidate won the presidency with fewer popular votes, John Quincy Adams in 1824, neither the Democratic nor Republican parties had been founded. ^[1]Popular vote totals are not available for elections prior to 1824, and even when those totals subsequently started being reported, some states still chose electors in the state legislatures and … Continue reading

The five elections in which the popular vote winner did not win the presidency represent 8.5% of all US presidential elections. Of the 59 presidential elections since 1789, 54 of those elections (91.5%) were won by the candidate with the most popular votes.

II. Fifty-Nine US Presidential Elections, 1789-2020

A. Election	B. Dem vs. Rep Candidate	C. Popular Vote in Millions (% of pop. vote)	D. Electoral Votes	E. Candidate won with fewer popular votes
1. 1789	George Washington - ran uncontested	Not available [2]1789: Prior to 1824, the majority of states selected electors in the state legislature rather than by popular vote.	69 [3]1789: Each of 69 eligible electors cast two votes. George Washington was elected unanimously with a vote from each elector. New York cast no votes because the state legislature couldn’t agree on … Continue reading
2. 1792	George Washington (Federalist) - ran uncontested	Not available	132 [4]1792: Each elector cast two votes. Three electors did not vote.
3. 1796	Thomas Jefferson (Dem-Rep) v. John Adams (Federalist)	Not available	68 v. 71 = 139 [5]1796: Each elector cast two votes, and the second-highest vote recipient became vice president. Thirteen people received electoral votes. Even though there were 138 members of the Electoral College, … Continue reading
4. 1800	Thomas Jefferson (Dem-Rep) v. John Adams (Federalist)	Not available	73 v. 65 + Oth = 138 [6]1800: Electors didn’t distinguish between president and vice president in their votes, so Thomas Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr both got 73 electoral votes and the decision went to the … Continue reading
5. 1804	Thomas Jefferson (Dem-Rep) v. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (Federalist)	Not available	162 v. 14 = 176
6. 1808	James Madison (Dem-Rep) v. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (Federalist)	Not available	122 v. 47 + Oth = 176 [7]1808: Six faithless electors voted for George Clinton (Independent Democratic Republican) and one elector didn’t vote due to illness.
7. 1812	James Madison (Dem-Rep) v. DeWitt Clinton (Federalist)	Not available	128 v. 89 + Oth = 218 [8]1812: One elector did not vote.
8. 1816	James Monroe (Dem-Rep) v. Rufus King (Federalist)	Not available	183 v. 34 + Oth = 221 [9]1816: Four electors did not vote.
9. 1820	James Monroe (Dem-Rep) - ran uncontested	Not available	231 + Oth = 235 [10]1820: Last uncontested US Presidential election; one elector didn’t want a unanimous election, so he voted for John Quincy Adams; three electors did not vote.
10. 1824	Andrew Jackson (Dem-Rep) [11]Andrew Jackson is listed as Democratic-Republican in the election results but he co-founded the Democratic Party in 1828, so this chart marks him in blue. v. John Quincy Adams (Dem-Rep)	0.151 v. 0.113 (41.4% v. 30.9%)	99 v. 84 + Oth = 261 [12]1824: Four candidates all ran as Democratic-Republicans. Henry Clay received 37 electoral votes and William H. Crawford received 41 electoral votes.	John Quincy Adams [13]1824: Since no candidate had enough electoral votes to win, the House of Representatives selected John Quincy Adams as president even though he had fewer popular votes and fewer electoral votes than … Continue reading
11. 1828	Andrew Jackson (Dem-Rep) v. John Quincy Adams (National Republican)	0.643 v. 0.501 (56.0% v. 43.6%)	178 v. 83 = 261
12. 1832	Andrew Jackson v. Henry Clay (National Republican) [14]Henry Clay formed the Whig party to counter Jacksonian Democrats in the 1830s; this resource therefore marks Clay in red to denote correlation with the Republican party.	0.702 vs. 0.484 (54.2% v. 37.4%)	219 v. 49 + Oth = 288 [15]1832: William Wirt (Anti-Masonic party) received 7 electoral votes and John Floyd (Independent) received 11 electoral votes. Two electors didn’t vote because of illness.
13. 1836	Martin Van Buren v. William Henry Harrison (Whig) [16]The Whigs were formed to counter Jacksonian Democrats; this resource therefore marks Whigs in red.	0.764 v. 0.551 (50.8% v. 36.6%)	170 v. 73 + Oth = 294 [17]1836: Hugh L. White (26 electoral votes) and Daniel Webster (14 electoral votes) also ran as Whig party. W.P. Mangum’s party is listed as Anti-Jackson, Independent, and Whig by various sources; he … Continue reading
14. 1840	Martin Van Buren v. William Henry Harrison (Whig)	1.13 v. 1.28 (46.8% v. 52.9%)	60 v. 234 = 294
15. 1844	James K. Polk v. Henry Clay (Whig)	1.34 v. 1.30 (49.5% v. 48.1%)	170 v. 105 = 275 [18]There are fewer electoral votes in 1844 (275) than in 1840 (294) because the number of seats in the House of Representatives decreased following apportionment from the 1840 census.
16. 1848	Lewis Cass v. Zachary Taylor (Whig)	1.22 v. 1.36 (42.5% v. 47.3%)	127 v. 163 = 290 [19]There are fewer electoral votes in 1848 (290) than in 1840 (294) because the number of seats in the House went down following the 1840 census.
17. 1852	Franklin Pierce vs. Winfield Scott (Whig)	1.61 v. 1.39 (50.8% v. 43.9%)	254 v. 42 = 296
18. 1856	James Buchanan v. John C. Frémont	1.84 v. 1.34 (45.3% v. 33.1%)	174 v. 114 + Oth = 296 [20]1856: Millard Fillmore (Whig-American/Know-Nothing party) received 8 electoral votes.
19. 1860	Stephen A. Douglas v. Abraham Lincoln	1.38 v. 1.87 (29.5% v. 39.85)	12 v. 180 + Oth = 303 [21]1860: Southern Democratic John C. Breckinridge received 847,953 popular votes (18.1%) but won 72 electoral votes; Constitutional Union candidate John Bell received 39 electoral votes.
20. 1864	George B. McClellan v. Abraham Lincoln	1.81 v. 2.22 (44.9% v. 55.1%)	21 v. 212 = 233 [22]Eleven states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) didn’t participate because they had seceded from the … Continue reading
21. 1868	Horatio Seymour v. Ulysses S. Grant	2.71 v. 3.01 (47.3% v. 52.7%)	80 v. 214 = 294 [23]Former Confederate states Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia weren’t restored to the Union in time to vote in the election.
22. 1872	Horace Greeley v. Ulysses S. Grant	2.84 v. 3.60 (43.8% v. 55.6%)	Zero v. 286 + Oth = 352 [24]Greeley died after the election but before the electoral college was decided. Three electors still voted for Greeley but they were not counted by Congress. The remaining 63 electoral votes he would … Continue reading
23. 1876	Samuel J. Tilden v. Rutherford B. Hayes	4.29 v. 4.03 (51.0% v. 48.0%)	84 v. 185 = 369	Rutherford B. Hayes [25]1876: Democrat Tilden was leading the popular vote in early election returns, but fell one electoral vote short of the required 185. The electoral votes of Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, and South … Continue reading
24. 1880	Winfield Scott Hancock v. James A. Garfield	4.445 v. 4.454 (48.2% v. 48.3%)	155 v. 214 = 369
25. 1884	Grover Cleveland v. James G. Blaine	4.92 v. 4.85 (48.9% v. 48.2%)	219 v. 182 = 401
26. 1888	Grover Cleveland v. Benjamin Harrison	5.54 v. 5.45 (48.6% v. 47.8%)	168 v. 233 = 401	Benjamin Harrison [26]1888: Grover Cleveland won the popular vote by 89,293, but Harrison won the electoral vote and became president by winning New York by 14,373 votes. Significant vote buying and voter fraud in this … Continue reading
27. 1892	Grover Cleveland v. Benjamin Harrison	5.55 v. 5.19 (46.0% v. 43.0%)	277 v. 145 + Oth = 444 [27]James B. Weaver received 22 electoral votes.
28. 1896	William Jennings Bryan [28]Bryan was nominated by the Democrat and Populist parties, which had the same slates of electors in some states but not in others. v. William McKinley	6.37 v. 7.11 (45.8% v. 51.2%)	176 v. 271 = 447
29. 1900	William Jennings Bryan v. William McKinley	6.36 v. 7.22 (45.5% v. 51.7%)	155 v. 292 = 447
30. 1904	Alton B. Parker v. Theodore Roosevelt	5.08 v. 7.63 (37.6% v. 56.4%)	140 v. 336 = 476
31. 1908	William Jennings Bryan v. William Howard Taft	6.41 v. 7.68 (43.1% v. 51.6%)	162 v. 321 = 483
32. 1912	Woodrow Wilson v. William Howard Taft v. Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive)	6.29 v. 3.49 v. 4.12 (41.8% v. 23.2% v. 27.4)	435 v. 8 v. 88 = 531
33. 1916	Woodrow Wilson v. Charles Evans Hughes	9.13 v. 8.55 (49.2% v. 46.1%)	277 v. 254 = 531
34. 1920	James M. Cox v. Warren G. Harding	9.13 v. 16.15 (34.1% v. 60.3%)	127 v. 404 = 531
35. 1924	John W. Davis v. Calvin Coolidge	8.39 v. 15.72 (28.8% v. 54.0%)	136 v. 382 = 531 [29]1924: Robert M. La Follette received 13 votes.
36. 1928	Alfred E. Smith v. Herbert Hoover	15.01 v. 21.44 (40.8% v. 58.2%)	87 v. 444 = 531
37. 1932	Franklin D. Roosevelt v. Herbert Hoover	22.83 v. 15.76 (57.4% v. 39.6%)	472 v. 59 = 531
38. 1936	Franklin D. Roosevelt v. Alfred M. Landon	27.76 v. 16.68 (60.8% v. 36.5%)	523 v. 8 = 531
39. 1940	Franklin D. Roosevelt v. Wendell L. Willkie	27.31 v. 22.35 (54.7% v. 44.8%)	449 v. 82 = 531
40. 1944	Franklin D. Roosevelt v. Thomas E. Dewey	25.61 v. 22.02 (53.4% v. 45.9%)	432 v. 99 = 531
41. 1948	Harry S. Truman v. Thomas E. Dewey	24.18 v. 21.99 (49.6% v. 45.1%)	303 v. 189 + Oth = 531 [30]1948: Strom Thurmond received 39 electoral votes.
42. 1952	Adlai E. Stevenson v. Dwight D. Eisenhower	27.31 v. 33.94 (44.4% v. 55.1%)	89 v. 442 = 531
43. 1956	Adlai E. Stevenson v. Dwight D. Eisenhower	26.02 v. 35.59 (42.0% v. 57.4%)	73 v. 457 + Oth = 531 [31]1956: One faithless elector voted for Walter Burgwyn Jones.
44. 1960	John F. Kennedy v. Richard M. Nixon	34.23 v. 34.11 (49.7% v. 49.6%)	303 v. 219 + Oth = 537 [32]1960: One faithless elector and 14 unpledged electors cast electoral votes for Harry Byrd.
45. 1964	Lyndon B. Johnson v. Barry M. Goldwater	43.13 v. 27.18 (61.2% v. 38.5%)	486 v. 52 = 538
46. 1968	Hubert H. Humphrey v. Richard M. Nixon	31.28 v. 31.79 (42.7% v. 43.4%)	191 v. 301 + Oth = 538 [33]1968: George Wallace received 46 electoral votes as a third party candidate.
47. 1972	George S. McGovern v. Richard M. Nixon	29.17 v. 47.17 (37.5% v. 60.7%)	17 v. 520 + Oth = 538 [34]1972: One faithless elector cast an electoral vote for John Hospers, the Libertarian candidate.
48. 1976	Jimmy Carter v. Gerald R. Ford	40.83 v. 39.15 (50.1% v. 48.0%)	297 v. 240 + Oth = 538 [35]1976: One faithless elector cast an electoral vote for Ronald Reagan.
49. 1980	Jimmy Carter v. Ronald W. Reagan	35.48 v. 43.90 (41.0% v. 50.8%)	49 v. 489 = 538
50. 1984	Walter F. Mondale v. Ronald W. Reagan	37.58 v. 54.46 (40.6% v. 58.8%)	13 v. 525 = 538
51. 1988	Michael S. Dukakis v. George H.W. Bush	41.81 v. 48.89 (45.7% v. 53.4%)	111 v. 426 + Oth = 538 [36]1988: One faithless elector cast an electoral vote for the Democratic vice presidential candidate to draw attention to the fact that members of the electoral college were not required to vote for the … Continue reading
52. 1992	Bill Clinton v. George H.W. Bush	44.91 v. 39.10 (43.0% v. 37.5%)	370 v. 168 = 538
53. 1996	Bill Clinton v. Bob Dole	47.40 v. 39.20 (49.2% v. 40.7%)	379 v. 159 = 538
54. 2000	Al Gore v. George W. Bush	50.99 v. 50.46 (48.3% v. 47.9%)	266 v. 271 + Oth = 538 [37]2000: An elector in DC abstained.	George W. Bush
55. 2004	John Kerry v. George W. Bush	59.03 v. 62.04 (48.3% v. 50.7%)	286 v. 251 + Oth = 538 [38]2004: One faithless elector cast an electoral vote for John Edwards in what is believed to have been an error.
56. 2008	Barack Obama v. John McCain	69.50 v. 59.95 (52.9% v. 45.7%)	365 v. 173 = 538
57. 2012	Barack Obama v. Mitt Romney	65.92 v. 60.93 (51.1% v. 47.2%)	332 v. 206 = 538
58. 2016	Hillary Clinton v. Donald Trump	65.85 v. 62.98 (48.2% v. 46.1%)	227 v. 304 + Oth = 538 [39]2016: Seven faithless electors cast electoral votes for Bernie Sanders (1), Ron Paul (1), John Kasich (1), Colin Powell (3), and Faith Spotted Eagle (1).	Donald Trump
59. 2020	Joe Biden v. Donald Trump	81.28 v. 74.22 (51.3% v. 46.9%)	306 v. 232 = 538
A. Election	Dem vs. Rep Candidate	C. Popular Vote in Millions (% of pop. vote)	D. Electoral Votes	E. Candidate won with fewer popular votes

Source: Election results in the chart are from CQ Press, ”Presidential General Election, All States, 1789-2016 Summary,” CQ Voting and Elections Collection, library.cqpress.com, 2020

Page Sources:

1. 270 to Win, “1868 Presidential Election,” 270towin.com (accessed Dec. 3, 2020)
2. S.J. Ackerman, “The Vote That Failed,” smithsonianmag.com, Nov. 1998
3. The American Presidency Project, “Statistics: Data Archive – Elections,” presidency.ucsb.edu (accessed Dec. 2, 2020)
4. Ballotpedia, “Democratic Party,” ballotpedia.org (accessed Dec. 4, 2020)
5. Ballotpedia, “Republican Party,” ballotpedia.org (accessed Dec. 4, 2020)
6. Encyclopedia Britannica, “United States Presidential Election Results,” britannica.com (accessed Dec. 1, 2020)
7. Fair Vote, “Faithless Electors,” fairvote.org, July 6, 2020
8. History.com Editors, “Democratic Party,” history.com, Oct. 11, 2019
9. House of Representatives, “The Electoral Vote Count of the 1876 Presidential Election,” history.house.gov (accessed Dec. 3, 2020)
10. Library of Congress, “Presidential Election of 1800: A Resource Guide,” loc.gov (accessed Dec. 3, 2020)
11. Library of Congress, “Presidential Elections, 1789 to 1920: Resource Guides,” loc.gov (accessed Dec. 3, 2020)
12. Margaret A. Hogan, “John Quincy Adams: Life in Brief,” millercenter.org (accessed Dec. 3, 2020)
13. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), “What is the Electoral College?,” archives.org, Dec. 23, 2019
14. National Popular Vote, “5 of 45 Presidents Came into Office Without Winning the National Popular Vote,” nationalpopularvote.com
(accessed Dec. 1, 2020)
15. Ronald G. Shafer, “The ugliest presidential election in history: Fraud, voter intimidation and a backroom deal,” washingtonpost.com, Nov.
24, 2020
16. SUNY OER Services, “Rise of the Whigs,” courses.lumenlearning.com (accessed Dec. 3, 2020)
17. James Traub, “The Ugly Election That Birthed Modern American Politics,” national geographic.com, Dec. 2016
18. US Census Bureau, “Apportionment Legislation 1790 – 1830,” census.gov (accessed Dec. 15, 2020)
19. US Census Bureau, “Apportionment Legislation 1840 – 1880,” census.gov (accessed Dec. 15, 2020)