Electoral College History

The Electoral College was a compromise at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and Americans have argued about it ever since. Start with these three histories, then look up how any election or state has gone.

• A Brief Electoral College History Why the framers created it and how it has changed, beginning with the 12th Amendment.
• A Brief History of Electoral College Reform Efforts Two centuries of attempts to reform or abolish the system, and why nearly all of them failed.
• The Origins of Red and Blue States How the colors became attached to the parties, and why they stuck.

Past elections

Every presidential election since 1960 on an interactive map, with each state’s result:

• 2024 Trump 312 – Harris 226
• 2020 Biden 306 – Trump 232
• 2016 Trump 304 – Clinton 227
• 2012 Obama 332 – Romney 206
• 2008 Obama 365 – McCain 173
• 2004 Bush 286 – Kerry 251
• 2000 Bush 271 – Gore 266
• 1996 Clinton 379 – Dole 159
• 1992 Clinton 370 – Bush 168
• 1988 Bush 426 – Dukakis 111
• 1984 Reagan 525 – Mondale 13
• 1980 Reagan 489 – Carter 49
• 1976 Carter 297 – Ford 240
• 1972 Nixon 520 – McGovern 17
• 1968 Nixon 301 – Humphrey 191
• 1964 Johnson 486 – Goldwater 52
• 1960 Kennedy 303 – Nixon 219
• 1956 Eisenhower 457 – Stevenson 73
• 1952 Eisenhower 442 – Stevenson 89
• 1948 Truman 303 – Dewey 189
• 1944 Roosevelt 432 – Dewey 99
• 1940 Roosevelt 449 – Willkie 82
• 1936 Roosevelt 523 – Landon 8
• 1932 Roosevelt 472 – Hoover 59
• 1928 Hoover 444 – Smith 87
• 1924 Coolidge 382 – Davis 136
• 1920 Harding 404 – Cox 127
• 1916 Wilson 277 – Hughes 254
• 1912 Wilson 435 – Roosevelt 88
• 1908 Taft 321 – Bryan 162
• 1904 Roosevelt 336 – Parker 140
• 1900 McKinley 292 – Bryan 155
• 1896 McKinley 271 – Bryan 176
• 1892 Cleveland 277 – Harrison 145
• 1888 Harrison 233 – Cleveland 168
• 1884 Cleveland 219 – Blaine 182
• 1880 Garfield 214 – Hancock 155
• 1876 Hayes 185 – Tilden 184
• 1872 Grant 286 – Hendricks 42
• 1868 Grant 214 – Seymour 80
• 1864 Lincoln 212 – McClellan 21
• 1860 Lincoln 180 – Breckinridge 72
• 1856 Buchanan 174 – Frémont 114
• 1852 Pierce 254 – Scott 42
• 1848 Taylor 163 – Cass 127
• 1844 Polk 170 – Clay 105
• 1840 Harrison 234 – Van Buren 60
• 1836 Van Buren 170 – Harrison 73
• 1832 Jackson 219 – Clay 49
• 1828 Jackson 178 – Adams 83
• 1824 Jackson 99 – Adams 84
• 1820 Monroe 231 – Adams 1
• 1816 Monroe 183 – King 34
• 1812 Madison 128 – Clinton 89
• 1808 Madison 122 – Pinckney 47
• 1804 Jefferson 162 – Pinckney 14
• 1800 Jefferson 73 – Burr 73
• 1796 Adams 71 – Jefferson 68
• 1792 Washington 132 – Adams 77
• 1789 Washington 69 – Adams 34

State by state

How every state has voted since 1960: winners, margins, turnout and electoral votes, plus a county map for each state.