List of United States presidential elections by Electoral College margin
Updated: 11/5/2025, 10:15:33 AM Wikipedia source
In United States presidential elections, citizens who are registered to vote cast ballots for members of the Electoral College who then cast electoral votes for president and vice president. In order to be elected to office, a candidate must win an absolute majority of electoral votes. Since the Twenty-third Amendment in 1961 gave citizens residing in the District of Columbia the right to vote, this meant winning at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes. Since the Twelfth Amendment in 1804, electors cast separate votes for the president and vice president. Previously, each elector cast two votes for president, and the winner and runner-up became president and vice president, respectively.
Tables
· Table of election results
total
total
Rank
total
Year
winner
Winner
runner-up
60.
60.
Rank
60.
Year
1824
Winner
John Quincy Adams
Number of electors voting
261
Number of electors voting
99
Number of electors voting
84
Normalized victory margin
0.000
Percentage
37.93%
59.
59.
Rank
59.
Year
1876
Winner
Rutherford B. Hayes
Number of electors voting
369
Number of electors voting
185
Number of electors voting
184
Normalized victory margin
0.003
Percentage
50.14%
58.
58.
Rank
58.
Year
2000
Winner
George W. Bush
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
271
Number of electors voting
266
Normalized victory margin
0.009
Percentage
50.47%
57.
57.
Rank
57.
Year
1796
Winner
John Adams
Number of electors voting
138
Number of electors voting
71
Number of electors voting
68
Normalized victory margin
0.029
Percentage
51.45%
56.
56.
Rank
56.
Year
1916
Winner
Woodrow Wilson
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
277
Number of electors voting
254
Normalized victory margin
0.043
Percentage
52.17%
55.
55.
Rank
55.
Year
1800
Winner
Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr (tie)
Number of electors voting
138
Number of electors voting
73
Number of electors voting
65
Normalized victory margin
0.000
Percentage
52.90%
54.
54.
Rank
54.
Year
2004
Winner
George W. Bush
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
286
Number of electors voting
251
Normalized victory margin
0.063
Percentage
53.16%
53.
53.
Rank
53.
Year
1884
Winner
Grover Cleveland
Number of electors voting
401
Number of electors voting
219
Number of electors voting
182
Normalized victory margin
0.092
Percentage
54.61%
52.
52.
Rank
52.
Year
1976
Winner
Jimmy Carter
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
297
Number of electors voting
240
Normalized victory margin
0.104
Percentage
55.20%
51.
51.
Rank
51.
Year
1968
Winner
Richard Nixon
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
301
Number of electors voting
191
Normalized victory margin
0.119
Percentage
55.95%
50.
50.
Rank
50.
Year
1848
Winner
Zachary Taylor
Number of electors voting
290
Number of electors voting
163
Number of electors voting
127
Normalized victory margin
0.124
Percentage
56.21%
49.
49.
Rank
49.
Year
1960
Winner
John F. Kennedy
Number of electors voting
537
Number of electors voting
303
Number of electors voting
219
Normalized victory margin
0.128
Percentage
56.42%
48.
48.
Rank
48.
Year
2016
Winner
Donald Trump
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
304
Number of electors voting
227
Normalized victory margin
0.130
Percentage
56.51%
47.
47.
Rank
47.
Year
2020
Winner
Joe Biden
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
306
Number of electors voting
232
Normalized victory margin
0.138
Percentage
56.88%
46.
46.
Rank
46.
Year
1948
Winner
Harry S. Truman
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
303
Number of electors voting
189
Normalized victory margin
0.141
Percentage
57.06%
45.
45.
Rank
45.
Year
1836
Winner
Martin Van Buren
Number of electors voting
294
Number of electors voting
170
Number of electors voting
73
Normalized victory margin
0.156
Percentage
57.82%
44.
44.
Rank
44.
Year
2024
Winner
Donald Trump
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
312
Number of electors voting
226
Normalized victory margin
0.160
Percentage
57.99%
43.
43.
Rank
43.
Year
1880
Winner
James A. Garfield
Number of electors voting
369
Number of electors voting
214
Number of electors voting
155
Normalized victory margin
0.160
Percentage
57.99%
42.
42.
Rank
42.
Year
1888
Winner
Benjamin Harrison
Number of electors voting
401
Number of electors voting
233
Number of electors voting
168
Normalized victory margin
0.162
Percentage
58.10%
41.
41.
Rank
41.
Year
1856
Winner
James Buchanan
Number of electors voting
296
Number of electors voting
174
Number of electors voting
114
Normalized victory margin
0.176
Percentage
58.78%
40.
40.
Rank
40.
Year
1812
Winner
James Madison
Number of electors voting
217
Number of electors voting
128
Number of electors voting
89
Normalized victory margin
0.180
Percentage
58.99%
39.
39.
Rank
39.
Year
1860
Winner
Abraham Lincoln
Number of electors voting
303
Number of electors voting
180
Number of electors voting
72
Normalized victory margin
0.188
Percentage
59.41%
38.
38.
Rank
38.
Year
1896
Winner
William McKinley
Number of electors voting
447
Number of electors voting
271
Number of electors voting
176
Normalized victory margin
0.213
Percentage
60.63%
37.
37.
Rank
37.
Year
2012
Winner
Barack Obama
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
332
Number of electors voting
206
Normalized victory margin
0.234
Percentage
61.71%
36.
36.
Rank
36.
Year
1844
Winner
James K. Polk
Number of electors voting
275
Number of electors voting
170
Number of electors voting
105
Normalized victory margin
0.236
Percentage
61.82%
35.
35.
Rank
35.
Year
1892
Winner
Grover Cleveland
Number of electors voting
444
Number of electors voting
277
Number of electors voting
145
Normalized victory margin
0.248
Percentage
62.39%
34.
34.
Rank
34.
Year
1900
Winner
William McKinley
Number of electors voting
447
Number of electors voting
292
Number of electors voting
155
Normalized victory margin
0.306
Percentage
65.32%
33.
33.
Rank
33.
Year
1908
Winner
William Howard Taft
Number of electors voting
483
Number of electors voting
321
Number of electors voting
162
Normalized victory margin
0.329
Percentage
66.46%
32.
32.
Rank
32.
Year
2008
Winner
Barack Obama
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
365
Number of electors voting
173
Normalized victory margin
0.357
Percentage
67.84%
31.
31.
Rank
31.
Year
1828
Winner
Andrew Jackson
Number of electors voting
261
Number of electors voting
178
Number of electors voting
83
Normalized victory margin
0.364
Percentage
68.20%
30.
30.
Rank
30.
Year
1992
Winner
Bill Clinton
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
370
Number of electors voting
168
Normalized victory margin
0.375
Percentage
68.77%
29.
29.
Rank
29.
Year
1808
Winner
James Madison
Number of electors voting
175
Number of electors voting
122
Number of electors voting
47
Normalized victory margin
0.394
Percentage
69.71%
28.
28.
Rank
28.
Year
1996
Winner
Bill Clinton
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
379
Number of electors voting
159
Normalized victory margin
0.409
Percentage
70.45%
27.
27.
Rank
27.
Year
1904
Winner
Theodore Roosevelt
Number of electors voting
476
Number of electors voting
336
Number of electors voting
140
Normalized victory margin
0.412
Percentage
70.59%
26.
26.
Rank
26.
Year
1924
Winner
Calvin Coolidge
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
382
Number of electors voting
136
Normalized victory margin
0.439
Percentage
71.94%
25.
25.
Rank
25.
Year
1868
Winner
Ulysses S. Grant
Number of electors voting
294
Number of electors voting
214
Number of electors voting
80
Normalized victory margin
0.456
Percentage
72.79%
24.
24.
Rank
24.
Year
1920
Winner
Warren G. Harding
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
404
Number of electors voting
127
Normalized victory margin
0.522
Percentage
76.08%
23.
23.
Rank
23.
Year
1832
Winner
Andrew Jackson
Number of electors voting
286
Number of electors voting
219
Number of electors voting
49
Normalized victory margin
0.531
Percentage
76.57%
22.
22.
Rank
22.
Year
1988
Winner
George H. W. Bush
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
426
Number of electors voting
111
Normalized victory margin
0.584
Percentage
79.18%
21.
21.
Rank
21.
Year
1840
Winner
William Henry Harrison
Number of electors voting
294
Number of electors voting
234
Number of electors voting
60
Normalized victory margin
0.592
Percentage
79.59%
20.
20.
Rank
20.
Year
1944
Winner
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
432
Number of electors voting
99
Normalized victory margin
0.627
Percentage
81.36%
19.
19.
Rank
19.
Year
1912
Winner
Woodrow Wilson
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
435
Number of electors voting
88
Normalized victory margin
0.638
Percentage
81.92%
18.
18.
Rank
18.
Year
1872
Winner
Ulysses S. Grant
Number of electors voting
352
Number of electors voting
286
Number of electors voting
42
Normalized victory margin
0.639
Percentage
81.95%
17.
17.
Rank
17.
Year
1952
Winner
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
442
Number of electors voting
89
Normalized victory margin
0.665
Percentage
83.24%
16.
16.
Rank
16.
Year
1928
Winner
Herbert Hoover
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
444
Number of electors voting
87
Normalized victory margin
0.672
Percentage
83.62%
15.
15.
Rank
15.
Year
1816
Winner
James Monroe
Number of electors voting
217
Number of electors voting
183
Number of electors voting
34
Normalized victory margin
0.687
Percentage
84.33%
14.
14.
Rank
14.
Year
1940
Winner
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
449
Number of electors voting
82
Normalized victory margin
0.691
Percentage
84.56%
13.
13.
Rank
13.
Year
1852
Winner
Franklin Pierce
Number of electors voting
296
Number of electors voting
254
Number of electors voting
42
Normalized victory margin
0.716
Percentage
85.81%
12.
12.
Rank
12.
Year
1956
Winner
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
457
Number of electors voting
73
Normalized victory margin
0.721
Percentage
86.06%
11.
11.
Rank
11.
Year
1932
Winner
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
472
Number of electors voting
59
Normalized victory margin
0.778
Percentage
88.89%
10.
10.
Rank
10.
Year
1964
Winner
Lyndon B. Johnson
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
486
Number of electors voting
52
Normalized victory margin
0.807
Percentage
90.33%
9.
9.
Rank
9.
Year
1980
Winner
Ronald Reagan
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
489
Number of electors voting
49
Normalized victory margin
0.818
Percentage
90.89%
8.
8.
Rank
8.
Year
1864
Winner
Abraham Lincoln
Number of electors voting
233
Number of electors voting
212
Number of electors voting
21
Normalized victory margin
0.820
Percentage
90.99%
7.
7.
Rank
7.
Year
1804
Winner
Thomas Jefferson
Number of electors voting
176
Number of electors voting
162
Number of electors voting
14
Normalized victory margin
0.841
Percentage
92.05%
6.
6.
Rank
6.
Year
1972
Winner
Richard Nixon
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
520
Number of electors voting
17
Normalized victory margin
0.933
Percentage
96.65%
5.
5.
Rank
5.
Year
1984
Winner
Ronald Reagan
Number of electors voting
538
Number of electors voting
525
Number of electors voting
13
Normalized victory margin
0.952
Percentage
97.58%
4.
4.
Rank
4.
Year
1936
Winner
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Number of electors voting
531
Number of electors voting
523
Number of electors voting
8
Normalized victory margin
0.970
Percentage
98.49%
3.
3.
Rank
3.
Year
1820
Winner
James Monroe
Number of electors voting
232
Number of electors voting
231
Number of electors voting
1
Normalized victory margin
0.991
Percentage
99.57%
1.
1.
Rank
1.
Year
1792
Winner
George Washington
Number of electors voting
132
Number of electors voting
132
Number of electors voting
77
Normalized victory margin
1.000
Percentage
100%
2.
2.
Rank
2.
Year
1788–1789
Winner
George Washington
Number of electors voting
69
Number of electors voting
69
Number of electors voting
34
Normalized victory margin
1.000
Percentage
100%
| Rank | Year | Winner | Number of electors voting | Normalized victory margin | Percentage | ||
| total | winner | runner-up | |||||
| (c) | (w) | (r) | |||||
| 60. | 1824 | John Quincy Adams | 261 | 99 | 84 | 0.000 | 37.93% |
| 59. | 1876 | Rutherford B. Hayes | 369 | 185 | 184 | 0.003 | 50.14% |
| 58. | 2000 | George W. Bush | 538 | 271 | 266 | 0.009 | 50.47% |
| 57. | 1796 | John Adams | 138 | 71 | 68 | 0.029 | 51.45% |
| 56. | 1916 | Woodrow Wilson | 531 | 277 | 254 | 0.043 | 52.17% |
| 55. | 1800 | Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr (tie) | 138 | 73 | 65 | 0.000 | 52.90% |
| 54. | 2004 | George W. Bush | 538 | 286 | 251 | 0.063 | 53.16% |
| 53. | 1884 | Grover Cleveland | 401 | 219 | 182 | 0.092 | 54.61% |
| 52. | 1976 | Jimmy Carter | 538 | 297 | 240 | 0.104 | 55.20% |
| 51. | 1968 | Richard Nixon | 538 | 301 | 191 | 0.119 | 55.95% |
| 50. | 1848 | Zachary Taylor | 290 | 163 | 127 | 0.124 | 56.21% |
| 49. | 1960 | John F. Kennedy | 537 | 303 | 219 | 0.128 | 56.42% |
| 48. | 2016 | Donald Trump | 538 | 304 | 227 | 0.130 | 56.51% |
| 47. | 2020 | Joe Biden | 538 | 306 | 232 | 0.138 | 56.88% |
| 46. | 1948 | Harry S. Truman | 531 | 303 | 189 | 0.141 | 57.06% |
| 45. | 1836 | Martin Van Buren | 294 | 170 | 73 | 0.156 | 57.82% |
| 44. | 2024 | Donald Trump | 538 | 312 | 226 | 0.160 | 57.99% |
| 43. | 1880 | James A. Garfield | 369 | 214 | 155 | 0.160 | 57.99% |
| 42. | 1888 | Benjamin Harrison | 401 | 233 | 168 | 0.162 | 58.10% |
| 41. | 1856 | James Buchanan | 296 | 174 | 114 | 0.176 | 58.78% |
| 40. | 1812 | James Madison | 217 | 128 | 89 | 0.180 | 58.99% |
| 39. | 1860 | Abraham Lincoln | 303 | 180 | 72 | 0.188 | 59.41% |
| 38. | 1896 | William McKinley | 447 | 271 | 176 | 0.213 | 60.63% |
| 37. | 2012 | Barack Obama | 538 | 332 | 206 | 0.234 | 61.71% |
| 36. | 1844 | James K. Polk | 275 | 170 | 105 | 0.236 | 61.82% |
| 35. | 1892 | Grover Cleveland | 444 | 277 | 145 | 0.248 | 62.39% |
| 34. | 1900 | William McKinley | 447 | 292 | 155 | 0.306 | 65.32% |
| 33. | 1908 | William Howard Taft | 483 | 321 | 162 | 0.329 | 66.46% |
| 32. | 2008 | Barack Obama | 538 | 365 | 173 | 0.357 | 67.84% |
| 31. | 1828 | Andrew Jackson | 261 | 178 | 83 | 0.364 | 68.20% |
| 30. | 1992 | Bill Clinton | 538 | 370 | 168 | 0.375 | 68.77% |
| 29. | 1808 | James Madison | 175 | 122 | 47 | 0.394 | 69.71% |
| 28. | 1996 | Bill Clinton | 538 | 379 | 159 | 0.409 | 70.45% |
| 27. | 1904 | Theodore Roosevelt | 476 | 336 | 140 | 0.412 | 70.59% |
| 26. | 1924 | Calvin Coolidge | 531 | 382 | 136 | 0.439 | 71.94% |
| 25. | 1868 | Ulysses S. Grant | 294 | 214 | 80 | 0.456 | 72.79% |
| 24. | 1920 | Warren G. Harding | 531 | 404 | 127 | 0.522 | 76.08% |
| 23. | 1832 | Andrew Jackson | 286 | 219 | 49 | 0.531 | 76.57% |
| 22. | 1988 | George H. W. Bush | 538 | 426 | 111 | 0.584 | 79.18% |
| 21. | 1840 | William Henry Harrison | 294 | 234 | 60 | 0.592 | 79.59% |
| 20. | 1944 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | 531 | 432 | 99 | 0.627 | 81.36% |
| 19. | 1912 | Woodrow Wilson | 531 | 435 | 88 | 0.638 | 81.92% |
| 18. | 1872 | Ulysses S. Grant | 352 | 286 | 42 | 0.639 | 81.95% |
| 17. | 1952 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 531 | 442 | 89 | 0.665 | 83.24% |
| 16. | 1928 | Herbert Hoover | 531 | 444 | 87 | 0.672 | 83.62% |
| 15. | 1816 | James Monroe | 217 | 183 | 34 | 0.687 | 84.33% |
| 14. | 1940 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | 531 | 449 | 82 | 0.691 | 84.56% |
References
- None of the presidential candidates in 1824 received a majority of the electoral vote, so the presidential election was
- Under the original procedure for the Electoral College, each elector had two votes and voted for two individuals. The ca
- Under the original procedure for the Electoral College, each elector had two votes and voted for two individuals. The ca
- In the 2016 United States presidential election, a total of 7 faithless electors cast their votes for another person, th
- Votes which were not counted do not change the majority needed to win. In 1820, there were 232 counted votes as three el
- There was a dispute as to whether Missouri's electoral votes in 1820 were valid, due to the timing of its assumption of
- The elections of 1788-89, 1792, and 1820 had a candidate run effectively unopposed. However, Monroe did not receive all
- George Washington received the vote of every elector, but the second vote of each elector was split among other candidat
- Only ten of the thirteen states cast electoral votes in the first ever presidential election: North Carolina and Rhode I
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53558176
- minthttps://www.livemint.com/news/world/how-the-electoral-college-works-explained-11604463767570.html
- constitutioncenter.orghttps://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/interpretation/amendment-xxiii/interps/155
- uselectionatlas.orghttps://uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_history.php