How the US Electoral Map Looked Like Over The Years
The 2020 United States presidential election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2020. It will be the 59th quadrennial presidential election.
Check out nearly 200 years of election results in the choropleth maps below.
By the way, if you want to create similar maps and make them interactive, you can check our WordPress map plugin, MapSVG, and see how easy it is to create a map like the ones in this article… and make them interactive!
US Presidential Election Facts
The U.S. wasn’t always divided between blue and red states. Parties that once dominated the national conversation included Whig, National Republican, Democratic-Republican, and others.
Electoral maps dating back decades reveal much about political change in the U.S. as the country grew and two dominant political parties emerged. In the 2016 election, Donald Trump won the Electoral College tally by taking traditionally Democratic states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Other interesting facts about USA Presidential elections:
The 2000 and 2016 elections were not the only occasions when a candidate won the popular vote but lost the election. It has happened four other times in our nation’s history: in 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000.
Grover Cleveland was elected president (1884) then lost his re-election campaign (1888) and came back again to win the presidency for a second time. (1892)
George Washington is the only president ever elected unanimously.
Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution has only three requirements for a president. (1) Must be at least 35 years old, (2) have lived in the United States at least 14 years, and (3) be a natural-born citizen.
Martin Van Buren was the first natural-born American to become president in 1837. All of the seven previous presidents were born as British subjects.
Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for president in 1872.
If no presidential candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses the president.
US Electoral Maps 1789-2016
2016 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Donald J. Trump (R)
Republican
304
62,980,160
Hillary R. Clinton (D)
Democratic
227
65,845,063
Evan McMullin (IND)
Independent
0
728,830
Gary Johnson (L)
Libertarian
0
4,488,931
Jill Stein (G)
Green
0
1,457,050
2012 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Barack H. Obama (D)
Democratic
332
65,446,032
W. Mitt Romney (R)
Republican
206
60,589,084
Gary Johnson (L)
Libertarian
0
1,275,971
2008 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Barack H. Obama (D)
Democratic
365
69,456,897
John S. McCain (R)
Republican
173
59,934,814
2004 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
George W. Bush (R)
Republican
286
62,039,073
John F. Kerry (D)
Democratic
251
59,027,478
2000 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
George W. Bush (R)
Republican
271
50,456,062
Albert Gore, Jr. (D)
Democratic
266
50,996,582
Ralph Nader (G)
Green
0
2,882,955
1996 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
William J. Clinton (D)
Democratic
379
45,590,703
Robert Dole (R)
Republican
159
37,816,307
Ross Perot (RE)
Reform
0
8,085,294
1992 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
William J. Clinton (D)
Democratic
370
44,908,254
George Bush (R)
Republican
168
39,102,343
Ross Perot (IND)
Independent
0
19,743,821
1988 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
George Bush (R)
Republican
426
47,946,000
Michael S. Dukakis (D)
Democratic
111
41,016,000
1984 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Ronald Reagan (R)
Republican
525
54,455,000
Walter F. Mondale (D)
Democratic
13
37,577,000
1980 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Ronald Reagan (R)
Republican
489
43,901,812
Jimmy Carter (D)
Democratic
49
35,483,820
John Anderson (IND)
Independent
0
5,719,850
Ed Clark (L)
Libertarian
0
921,128
1976 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Jimmy Carter (D)
Democratic
297
40,825,839
Gerald R. Ford (R)
Republican
240
39,147,770
1972 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Richard M. Nixon (R)
Republican
520
46,740,323
George McGovern (D)
Democratic
17
28,901,598
1968 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Richard M. Nixon (R)
Republican
301
31,710,470
Hubert H. Humphrey (D)
Democratic
191
30,898,055
George C. Wallace (AI)
American Independent
46
9,906,473
1964 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
Republican
486
42,825,463
Barry M. Goldwater (R)
Republican
52
27,146,969
1960 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
John F. Kennedy (D)
Democratic
303
34,227,096
Richard M. Nixon (R)
Republican
219
34,107,646
Harry F. Byrd (D)
Democratic
15
116,248
1956 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
Republican
457
35,581,003
Adlai Stevenson (D)
Democratic
73
25,738,765
1952 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
Republican
442
33,778,963
Adlai Stevenson (D)
Democratic
89
27,314,992
1948 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Harry S. Truman (D)
Democratic
303
24,105,695
Thomas E. Dewey (R)
Republican
189
21,969,170
J. Strom Thurmond (SR)
States’ Rights Democratic
39
1,169,021
Henry Wallace (P)
Progressive
0
1,157,328
1944 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
Democratic
432
25,602,504
Thomas E. Dewey (R)
Republican
99
22,006,285
1940 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
Democratic
449
27,244,160
Wendell L. Willkie (R)
Republican
82
22,305,198
1936 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
Democratic
523
27,751,597
Alfred M. Landon (R)
Republican
8
16,679,583
1932 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
Democratic
472
22,821,857
Herbert C. Hoover (R)
Republican
59
15,761,841
1928 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Herbert C. Hoover (R)
Republican
444
21,391,381
Alfred E. Smith (D)
Democratic
87
15,016,443
1924 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Calvin Coolidge (R)
Republican
382
15,725,016
John W. Davis (D)
Democratic
136
8,386,503
Robert M. LaFollette (P)
Progressive
13
4,822,856
1920 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Warren G. Harding (R)
Republican
404
16,152,200
James M. Cox (D)
Democratic
127
9,147,353
Eugene Debs (SO)
Socialist
0
919,799
1916 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Woodrow Wilson (D)
Democratic
277
9,129,606
Charles E. Hughes (R)
Republican
254
8,538,221
Allan Benson (SO)
Socialist
0
585,113
1912 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Woodrow Wilson (D)
Democratic
435
6,293,454
Theodore Roosevelt (P)
Progressive
88
4,119,207
William H. Taft (R)
Republican
8
3,483,922
Eugene Debs (SO)
Socialist
0
901,551
1908 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
William H. Taft (R)
Republican
321
7,678,908
William J. Bryan (D)
Democratic
162
6,409,104
1904 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Theodore Roosevelt ®
Republican
336
7,623,486
Alton B. Parker (D)
Democratic
140
5,077,911
Eugene Debs (SO)
Socialist
0
402,895
1900 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
William McKinley (R)
Republican
292
7,207,923
William J. Bryan (D-P)
Democratic-Populist
155
6,358,133
1896 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
William McKinley (R)
Republican
271
7,104,779
William J. Bryan (D-P)
Democratic-Populist
176
6,502,925
1892 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Grover Cleveland (D)
Democratic
277
5,556,918
Benjamin Harrison (R)
Republican
145
5,176,108
James B. Weaver (PE)
People’s
22
1,027,329
1888 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Benjamin Harrison (R)
Republican
233
5,439,853
Grover Cleveland (D)
Democratic
168
5,540,309
1884 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Grover Cleveland (D)
Democratic
219
4,874,986
James G. Blaine (R)
Republican
182
4,851,981
1880 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
James A. Garfield (R)
Republican
214
4,454,416
Winfield S. Hancock (D)
Democratic
155
4,444,952
James Weaver (GB)
Greenback
0
308,578
1876 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Rutherford B. Hayes (R)
Republican
185
4,036,298
Samuel J. Tilden (D)
Democratic
184
4,300,590
1872 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Ulysses S. Grant (R)
Republican
286
3,597,132
Various*** (D)
Democratic
63
2,834,125
Horace Greeley (D)
Democratic
0
2,834,125
B. Gratz Brown (D)
Democratic
18
0
Charles J. Jenkins (D)
Democratic
2
0
David Davis (D)
Democratic
1
0
Thomas A. Hendricks (D)
Democratic
42
0
1868 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Ulysses S. Grant (R)
Republican
214
3,012,833
Horatio Seymour (D)
Democratic
80
2,703,249
1864 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Abraham Lincoln (R)
Republican
212
2,213,665
George B. McClellan (D)
Democratic
21
1,805,237
1860 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Abraham Lincoln (R)
Republican
180
1,866,452
John C. Breckinridge (D)
Democratic
72
847,953
John Bell (C)
Constitutional Union
39
592,906
Stephen A. Douglas (D)
Democratic
12
1,382,713
1856 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
James Buchanan (D)
Democratic
174
1,838,169
John C. Fremont (R)
Republican
114
1,341,264
Millard Fillmore (A)
American
8
873,000
1852 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Franklin Pierce (D)
Democratic
254
1,601,274
Winfield Scott (W)
Whig
42
1,386,580
John P. Hale (FS)
Free Soil
0
155,210
1848 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Zachary Taylor (W)
Whig
163
1,360,099
Lewis Cass (D)
Democratic
127
1,220,544
Martin Van Buren (FS)
Free Soil
0
291,501
1844 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
James K. Polk (D)
Democratic
170
1,337,243
Henry Clay (W)
Whig
105
1,299,062
1840 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
William H. Harrison
(W)Whig
234
1,275,016
Martin Van Buren (D)
Democratic
60
1,129,102
1836 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Martin Van Buren (D)
Democratic
170
762,678
William H. Harrison (W)
Whig
73
735,651
Hugh L. White (W)
Whig
26
146,107
Daniel Webster (W)
Whig
14
41,201
W.P. Mangum (IND)
Independent
11
0
1832 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Andrew Jackson (D)
Democratic
219
687,502
Henry Clay (N)
National Republican
49
530,189
John Floyd (IND)
Independent
11
0
William Wirt (A-M)
Anti-Masonic
7
101,051
1828 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Andrew Jackson (D)
Democratic
178
647,286
John Quincy Adams (N)
National Republican
83
508,064
1824 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Andrew Jackson (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
99
153,544
John Quincy Adams (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
84
108,740
William H. Crawford (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
41
40,856
Henry Clay (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
37
47,531
1820 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
James Monroe (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
231
Unknown
John Quincy Adams (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
1
Unknown
1816 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
James Monroe (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
183
Unknown
Rufus King (F)
Federalist
34
Unknown
1812 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
James Madison (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
128
Unknown
De Witt Clinton (F)
Federalist
89
Unknown
1808 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
James Madison (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
122
Unknown
Charles C. Pinckney (F)
Federalist
47
Unknown
George Clinton (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
6
Unknown
1804 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
162
Unknown
Charles C. Pinckney (F)
Federalist
14
Unknown
1800 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
73
Unknown
Aaron Burr (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
73
Unknown
John Adams (F)
Federalist
65
Unknown
Charles C. Pinckney (F)
Federalist
64
Unknown
1796 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
John Adams (F)
Federalist
71
Unknown
Thomas Jefferson (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
68
Unknown
Thomas Pinckney (F)
Federalist
59
Unknown
Others (V)
Various
48
Unknown
Aaron Burr (D-R)
Democratic-Republican
30
Unknown
1792 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
George Washington (F)
Federalist
132
Unknown
John Adams (F)
Federalist
77
Unknown
George Clinton (A-F)
Anti-Federalist
50
Unknown
Others (A-F)
Anti-Federalist
5
Unknown
1789 Electoral Map
Candidate
Party
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
George Washington (F)
Federalist
69
Unknown
Others (IND)
Independent
35
Unknown
John Adams (F)
Federalist
34
Unknown
If you liked this article about the US electoral map, you should also check out this article with map illustration examples.
