Presidential Election Results, 1789–2020
by Gilder Lehrman Staff
Introduction
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, who are representatives typically chosen by the candidate’s political party, though some state laws differ. Each state’s number of electors is based on its congressional delegation (one for each member in the House of Representatives and one for each member in the Senate). Currently, a total of 270 electoral votes is required to win the presidency.
Before the 1804 election the first runner-up became vice president, as spelled out in the US Constitution. As a result of the Election of 1800, the method of electing the vice president was changed with the Twelfth Amendment, and led to separate ballots cast for the president and vice president, with the winner in each race gaining the seat. Popular vote statistics are not available until the 1824 election.
A PDF of the results is also available for download.
Election Results, 1789–2020
Note: Election data is taken from the University of California, Santa Barbara American Presidency Project.
Election Year: 1789
Winner and Vice President: George Washington, John Adams
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 69
Opponent(s): 34
Candidates: George Washington, John Adams*
*Although theoretically John Adams could have won, everyone knew George Washington was the choice for president; Adams was never expected to win the election.
Election Year: 1792
Winner and Vice President: George Washington, John Adams
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 132
Opponent(s): 77
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican: Aaron Burr, George Clinton, Thomas Jefferson
Federalist Candidates: George Washington, John Adams
Election Year: 1796
Winner and Vice President: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 71
Opponent(s): 68
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican Candidate: Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson
Federalist Candidate: John Adams, Thomas Pinckney
Election Year: 1800
Winner and Vice President: Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 73*
Opponent(s): 73
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican Candidates: Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson
Federalist Candidate: John Adams, Charles C. Pinckney
* The tie in the Electoral College sent the election to the House of Representatives, where Jefferson received the most votes.
Election Year: 1804
Winner and Vice President: Thomas Jefferson, George Clinton
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 162
Opponent(s): 14
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican Candidate: Thomas Jefferson
Federalist Candidate: Charles C. Pinckney
Election Year: 1808
Winner and Vice President: James Madison, George Clinton
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 122
Opponent(s): 47
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican Candidate: James Madison
Federalist Candidate: Charles C. Pinckney
Election Year: 1812
Winner and Vice President: James Madison, Elbridge Gerry
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 128
Opponent(s): 89
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican Candidate: James Madison
Federalist Candidate: De Witt Clinton
Election Year: 1816
Winner and Vice President: James Monroe, Daniel D. Tompkins
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 183
Opponent(s): 34
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican Candidate: James Monroe
Federalist Candidate: Rufus King
Election Year: 1820
Winner and Vice President: James Monroe, Daniel D. Tompkins
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 231
Opponent(s): 1
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican Candidate: James Monroe
National Republican Candidate: John Quincy Adams
Election Year: 1824
Winner and Vice President: John Quincy Adams, John C. Calhoun
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 84
Opponent(s): 99 (Jackson), 41 (Crawford), 37 (Clay)
Popular Vote
Winner: 32.0%
Opponent(s): 42.0%
Candidates by Party
Democratic-Republican Candidates: Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, Henry Clay
Coalition Candidate: John Quincy Adams
Election Year: 1828
Winner and Vice President: Andrew Jackson, John C. Calhoun
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 178
Opponent(s): 83
Popular Vote
Winner: 56.1%
Opponent(s): 43.6%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Andrew Jackson
National Republican Candidate: John Quincy Adams
Election Year: 1832
Winner and Vice President: Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 219
Opponent(s): 49 (Clay), 7 (Wirt)
Popular Vote
Winner: 54.2%
Opponent(s): 37.4% (Clay), 7.8% (Wirt)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Andrew Jackson
National Republican Candidate: Henry Clay
Anti-Masonic Candidate: William Wirt
Election Year: 1836
Winner and Vice President: Martin Van Buren, Richard M. Johnson
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 170
Opponent(s): 73 (Harrison), 26 (White), 14 (Webster), 11 (Mangum)
Popular Vote
Winner: 50.8%
Opponent(s): 36.6% (Harrison), 9.7% (White), 2.7% (Webster)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Martin Van Buren
Whig Candidates: William H. Harrison, Hugh White, Daniel Webster
Independent/Whig Candidate: Willie P. Mangum
Election Year: 1840
Winner and Vice President: William H. Harrison, John Tyler
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 234
Opponent(s): 60
Popular Vote
Winner: 52.9%
Opponent(s): 46.8%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Martin Van Buren
Whig Candidate: William H. Harrison
Election Year: 1844
Winner and Vice President: James K. Polk, George M. Dallas
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 170
Opponent(s): 105
Popular Vote
Winner: 49.5%
Opponent(s): 48.1%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: James K. Polk
Whig Candidate: Henry Clay
Election Year: 1848
Winner and Vice President: Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 163
Opponent(s): 127 (Cass), 0 (Van Buren)
Popular Vote
Winner: 47.3%
Opponent(s): 42.5% (Cass), 10.1% (Van Buren)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Lewis Cass
Whig Candidate: Zachary Taylor
Free Soil Candidate: Martin Van Buren
Election Year: 1852
Winner and Vice President: Franklin Pierce, William R. King
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 254
Opponent(s): 42
Popular Vote
Winner: 50.8%
Opponent(s): 43.9%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Franklin Pierce
Whig Candidate: Winfield Scott
Election Year: 1856
Winner and Vice President: James Buchanan, John C. Breckinridge
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 174
Opponent(s): 114 (Fremont), 8 (Fillmore)
Popular Vote
Winner: 45.3%
Opponent(s): 33.1% (Fremont), 21.6% (Fillmore)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: James Buchanan
Republican Candidate: John C. Fremont
Whig-American Candidate: Millard Fillmore
Election Year: 1860
Winner and Vice President: Abraham Lincoln, Hannibal Hamlin
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 180
Opponent(s): 72 (Breckinridge), 39 (Bell), 12 (Douglas)
Popular Vote
Winner: 39.9%
Opponent(s): 18.1% (Breckinridge), 12.6% (Bell), 29.5% (Douglas)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Stephen A. Douglas
Republican Candidate: Abraham Lincoln
Southern Democratic Candidate: John C. Breckinridge
Constitutional Union Candidate: John Bell
Election Year: 1864
Winner and Vice President: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 212
Opponent(s): 21
Popular Vote
Winner: 55.1%
Opponent(s): 44.9%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: George B. McClellan
Republican Candidate: Abraham Lincoln
Election Year: 1868
Winner and Vice President: Ulysses S. Grant, Schuyler Colfax
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 214
Opponent(s): 80
Popular Vote
Winner: 52.7%
Opponent(s): 47.3%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Horatio Seymour
Republican Candidate: Ulysses S. Grant
Election Year: 1872
Winner and Vice President: Ulysses S. Grant, Henry Wilson
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 286
Opponent(s): 0
Popular Vote
Winner: 55.6%
Opponent(s): 43.8%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidates: B. Gratz Brown, Horace Greeley, Charles J. Jenkins, David Davis
Republican Candidate: Ulysses S. Grant
Independent Democratic Candidate: Thomas A. Hendricks
Note: Horace Greeley was the major Democratic candidate, and earned electoral votes, but died between the election and the Electoral College. Greeley’s votes were distributed among the other three Democratic candidates
Election Year: 1876
Winner and Vice President: Rutherford B. Hayes, William A. Wheeler
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 185*
Opponent(s): 184
Popular Vote
Winner: 48.0%
Opponent(s): 51.0%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Samuel J. Tilden
Republican Candidate: Rutherford B. Hayes
* With electoral votes in four states in contention, this election was decided by a Federal Electoral Commission.
Election Year: 1880
Winner and Vice President: James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 214
Opponent(s): 155
Popular Vote
Winner: 48.3%
Opponent(s): 48.2%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Winfield S. Hancock
Republican Candidate: James Garfield
Election Year: 1884
Winner and Vice President: Grover Cleveland, Thomas A. Hendricks
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 219
Opponent(s): 182
Popular Vote
Winner: 48.9%
Opponent(s): 48.2%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Grover Cleveland
Republican Candidate: James G. Blaine
Election Year: 1888
Winner and Vice President: Benjamin Harrison, Levi P. Morton
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 233
Opponent(s): 168
Popular Vote
Winner: 47.8%
Opponent(s): 48.6%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Grover Cleveland
Republican Candidate: Benjamin Harrison
Election Year: 1892
Winner and Vice President: Grover Cleveland, Adlai E. Stevenson
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 277
Opponent(s): 145 (Harrison), 22 (Weaver)
Popular Vote
Winner: 46.0%
Opponent(s): 43.0% (Harrison), 8.5% (Weaver)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Grover Cleveland
Republican Candidate: Benjamin Harrison
People’s (Populist) Candidate: James B. Weaver
Election Year: 1896
Winner and Vice President: William McKinley, Garret A. Hobart
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 271
Opponent(s): 176
Popular Vote
Winner: 51.1%
Opponent(s): 45.8%
Candidates by Party
Republican Candidate: William McKinley
Democratic-Populist Candidate: William J. Bryan
Election Year: 1900
Winner and Vice President: William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 292
Opponent(s): 155
Popular Vote
Winner: 51.7%
Opponent(s): 45.5%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: William J. Bryan
Republican Candidate: William McKinley
Election Year: 1904
Winner and Vice President: Theodore Roosevelt, Charles W. Fairbanks
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 336
Opponent(s): 140
Popular Vote
Winner: 56.4%
Opponent(s): 37.6%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Alton B. Parker
Republican Candidate: Theodore Roosevelt
Election Year: 1908
Winner and Vice President: William H. Taft, James S. Sherman
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 321
Opponent(s): 162
Popular Vote
Winner: 51.6%
Opponent(s): 43.0%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: William J. Bryan
Republican Candidate: William H. Taft
Election Year: 1912
Winner and Vice President: Woodrow Wilson, Thomas R. Marshall
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 435
Opponent(s): 88 (Roosevelt), 8 (Taft)
Popular Vote
Winner: 41.8%
Opponent(s): 27.4% (Roosevelt), 23.2% (Taft)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Woodrow Wilson
Republican Candidate: William H. Taft
Progressive Candidate: Theodore Roosevelt
Election Year: 1916
Winner and Vice President: Woodrow Wilson, Thomas R. Marshall
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 277
Opponent(s): 254
Popular Vote
Winner: 49.2%
Opponent(s): 46.1%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Woodrow Wilson
Republican Candidate: Charles E. Hughes
Election Year: 1920
Winner and Vice President: Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 404
Opponent(s): 127
Popular Vote
Winner: 60.3%
Opponent(s): 34.1%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: James M. Cox
Republican Candidate: Warren G. Harding
Election Year: 1924
Winner and Vice President: Calvin Coolidge, Charles G. Dawes
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 382
Opponent(s): 136 (Davis), 13 (LaFollette)
Popular Vote
Winner: 54.0%
Opponent(s): 28.8% (Davis), 16.6% (LaFollette)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: John W. Davis
Republican Candidate: Calvin Coolidge
Progressive Candidate: Robert M. LaFollette
Election Year: 1928
Winner and Vice President: Herbert C. Hoover, Charles Curtis
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 444
Opponent(s): 87
Popular Vote
Winner: 58.2%
Opponent(s): 40.8%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Alfred E. Smith
Republican Candidate: Herbert C. Hoover
Election Year: 1932
Winner and Vice President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, John N. Garner
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 472
Opponent(s): 59
Popular Vote
Winner: 57.4%
Opponent(s): 39.6%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Republican Candidate: Herbert C. Hoover
Election Year: 1936
Winner and Vice President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, John N. Garner
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 523
Opponent(s): 8
Popular Vote
Winner: 60.8%
Opponent(s): 36.5%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Republican Candidate: Alfred M. Landon
Election Year: 1940
Winner and Vice President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Henry A. Wallace
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 449
Opponent(s): 82
Popular Vote
Winner: 54.7%
Opponent(s): 44.8%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Republican Candidate: Wendell L. Wilkie
Election Year: 1944
Winner and Vice President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 432
Opponent(s): 99
Popular Vote
Winner: 53.4%
Opponent(s): 45.9%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Republican Candidate: Thomas E. Dewey
Election Year: 1948
Winner and Vice President: Harry S. Truman, Alben W. Barkley
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 303
Opponent(s): 189 (Dewey), 39 (Thurmond)
Popular Vote
Winner: 49.5%
Opponent(s): 45.1% (Dewey), 2.4% (Thurmond)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Harry S. Truman
Republican Candidate: Thomas E. Dewey
States’ Rights (Dixiecrat) Candidate: Strom Thurmond
Election Year: 1952
Winner and Vice President: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 442
Opponent(s): 89
Popular Vote
Winner: 54.9%
Opponent(s): 44.4%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Adlai Stevenson
Republican Candidate: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Election Year: 1956
Winner and Vice President: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 457
Opponent(s): 73
Popular Vote
Winner: 57.4%
Opponent(s): 42.0%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Adlai Stevenson
Republican Candidate: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Election Year: 1960
Winner and Vice President: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 303
Opponent(s): 219
Popular Vote
Winner: 49.7%
Opponent(s): 49.5%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: John F. Kennedy
Republican Candidate: Richard M. Nixon
Independent Candidate: Harry F. Byrd
Election Year: 1964
Winner and Vice President: Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert H. Humphrey
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 486
Opponent(s): 52
Popular Vote
Winner: 61.1%
Opponent(s): 38.5%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Lyndon B. Johnson
Republican Candidate: Barry M. Goldwater
Election Year: 1968
Winner and Vice President: Richard M. Nixon, Spiro T. Agnew
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 301
Opponent(s): 191 (Humphrey), 46 (Wallace)
Popular Vote
Winner: 43.4%
Opponent(s): 42.7% (Humphrey), 13.5% (Wallace)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Hubert H. Humphrey
Republican Candidate: Richard M. Nixon
American Independent Candidate: George C. Wallace
Election Year: 1972
Winner and Vice President: Richard M. Nixon, Spiro T. Agnew
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 520
Opponent(s): 17
Popular Vote
Winner: 60.7%
Opponent(s): 37.5%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: George S. McGovern
Republican Candidate: Richard M. Nixon
Libertarian Candidate: Joseph Hospers
Election Year: 1976
Winner and Vice President: Jimmy Carter, Walter F. Mondale
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 297
Opponent(s): 240
Popular Vote
Winner: 50.1%
Opponent(s): 48.0%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Jimmy Carter
Republican Candidate: Gerald R. Ford
Election Year: 1980
Winner and Vice President: Ronald Reagan, George Bush
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 489
Opponent(s): 49 (Carter), 0 (Anderson)
Popular Vote
Winner: 50.7%
Opponent(s): 41.0% (Carter), 6.6% (Anderson)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Jimmy Carter
Republican Candidate: Ronald Reagan
National Union Candidate: John B. Anderson
Election Year: 1984
Winner and Vice President: Ronald Reagan, George Bush
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 525
Opponent(s): 13
Popular Vote
Winner: 58.8%
Opponent(s): 40.6%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Walter F. Mondale
Republican Candidate: Ronald Reagan
Election Year: 1988
Winner and Vice President: George Bush, James Danforth Quayle
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 426
Opponent(s): 111
Popular Vote
Winner: 53.4%
Opponent(s): 45.6%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Michael S. Dukakis
Republican Candidate: George Bush
Election Year: 1992
Winner and Vice President: William J. Clinton, Albert Gore Jr.
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 370
Opponent(s): 168 (Bush), 0 (Perot)
Popular Vote
Winner: 43.0%
Opponent(s): 37.4% (Bush), 18.9% (Perot)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: William J. Clinton
Republican Candidate: George Bush
Independent Candidate: H. Ross Perot
Election Year: 1996
Winner and Vice President: William J. Clinton, Albert Gore Jr.
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 379
Opponent(s): 159 (Dole), 0 (Perot)
Popular Vote
Winner: 49.2%
Opponent(s): 40.7% (Dole), 8.4% (Perot)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: William J. Clinton
Republican Candidate: Bob Dole
Independent Candidate: H. Ross Perot
Election Year: 2000
Winner and Vice President: George W. Bush, Dick Cheney
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 271
Opponent(s): 266 (Gore), 0 (Nader)
Popular Vote
Winner: 47.9%
Opponent(s): 48.4% (Gore), 2.7% (Nader)
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Albert Gore Jr.
Republican Candidate: George W. Bush
Green Party Candidate: Ralph Nader
Election Year: 2004
Winner and Vice President: George W. Bush, Dick Cheney
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 286
Opponent(s): 251
Popular Vote
Winner: 50.7%
Opponent(s): 48.3%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: John F. Kerry
Republican Candidate: George W. Bush
Election Year: 2008
Winner and Vice President: Barack Obama, Joe Biden
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 365
Opponent(s): 173
Popular Vote
Winner: 52.9%
Opponent(s): 45.7%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Barack Obama
Republican Candidate: John McCain
Election Year: 2012
Winner and Vice President: Barack Obama, Joe Biden
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 332
Opponent(s): 206
Popular Vote
Winner: 51.1%
Opponent(s): 47.2%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Barack Obama
Republican Candidate: Mitt Romney
Election Year: 2016
Winner and Vice President: Donald Trump, Mike Pence
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 304
Opponent(s): 227
Popular Vote
Winner: 46.1%
Opponent(s): 48.2%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Hillary Clinton
Republican Candidate: Donald Trump
Election Year: 2020
Winner and Vice President: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
Electoral College Votes
Winner: 306
Opponent(s): 232
Popular Vote
Winner: 51.4%
Opponent(s): 46.9%
Candidates by Party
Democratic Candidate: Joe Biden
Republican Candidate: Donald Trump