Electoral Vote Tally for the 1860 Presidential Election
1861
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The Presidential election of 1860 was a four-way race among Republican Abraham Lincoln, Democrats Stephen A. Douglas and John Breckinridge, and Constitutional Union party nominee John A. Bell. Lincoln won only 40 percent of the popular vote. But as this list shows, he won 180 out of 303 electoral votes, including most of the North. Douglas came in second, but garnered only 12 electoral votes.
When a person votes for a Presidential candidate in the popular election, they're actually voting for the slate of electors representing their choice for President. Those electors meet in their state and vote for President. They send their state's electoral votes to the President of the United States Senate and Congress counts the electoral votes in a joint session of Congress.
When a person votes for a Presidential candidate in the popular election, they're actually voting for the slate of electors representing their choice for President. Those electors meet in their state and vote for President. They send their state's electoral votes to the President of the United States Senate and Congress counts the electoral votes in a joint session of Congress.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 4531652
Full Citation: Electoral Vote Tally for the 1860 Presidential Election; 1861; (SEN 36A-K3); Election Records, 1789 - 2000; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/electoral-tally-1860-election, March 27, 2023]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
