Skip to main content

Popular Votes 1940-2016

US Elections image

(Numbers reflect millions)

Candidates for President

Vote cast for President

Year Democratic Republican Total Popular vote1(1,000) Democratic Republican
       

Popular vote

Electoral vote

Popular vote

Electoral vote

        Number (1,000) Percent   Number (1,000) Percent  
1940† F.D. Roosevelt Willkie

49,900

27,313

54.7

449

22,348

44.8

82

1944† F.D. Roosevelt Dewey

47,977

25,613

53.4

432

22,018

45.9

99

1948 Truman Dewey

48,834

24,106

49.6

303

21,969

45.0

189

1952 Stevenson Eisenhower

61,552

27,315

44.4

89

33,779

54.9

442

1956 Stevenson Eisenhower

62,027

26,023

42.0

73

35,590

57.4

457

1960 Kennedy Nixon

68,836

34,227

49.7

303

34,108

49.5

219

1964 Johnson Goldwater

70,098

42,825

61.1

486

27,147

38.7

52

1968 Humphrey Nixon

73,027

30,989

42.4

191

31,710

43.4

301

1972 McGovern Nixon

77,625

28,902

37.2

17

46,740

60.2

520

1976 Carter Ford

81,603

40,826

50.0

297

39,148

48.0

240

1980 Carter Reagan

86,497

35,481

41.0

49

43,643

50.5

489

1984 Mondale Reagan

92,653

37,577

40.6

13

54,455

58.8

525

1988 Dukakis Bush

91,595

41,809

45.7

111

48,886

53.4

426

1992 Clinton Bush

104,427

44,910

43.0

370

39,105

37.5

168

1996 Clinton Dole

96,278

47,402

49.2

379

39,199

40.7

159

2000 Gore Bush

105,405

51,000

48.4

266

50,456

47.9

271

2004 Kerry Bush

122,295

59,028

48.3

251

62,041

50.7

286

2008 Obama McCain

131,314

69,499

52.9

365

59,948

45.7

173

2012 Obama Romney

129,085

65,916

51.1

332

60,934

47.2

206

2016 Clinton Trump

136,628

65,845

48.2

227

62,980

46.1

304

1 Includes votes for minor party candidates, independents, unpledged electors, and scattered write-in votes.

 

† Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2002. (Table 370)
(http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/election.pdf)

Source (1948-1980): US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2010. (Table 389)
(https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2009/compendia/statab/129ed.html)

Source (1984-2016): Federal Election Commission (http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/electionresults.shtml)