United States presidential election
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225894565
2008-07-15T22:13:32Z
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{{For|the current presidential election|United States presidential election, 2008}}<!--Many people accessing Wikipedia will seek the 2008 article at the moment.-->
{{Politics of the United States}}
'''United States presidential elections''' determine who serves as [[President of the United States|president]] and [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] of the [[United States]] for a four-year term, starting at [[noon|midday]] on [[Inauguration Day]], which is [[January 20]] of the year after the election. The elections are conducted by the various [[States of the United States|states]] and not by the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]].
The presidential election occurs [[wiktionary:quadrennial|quadrennially]] (the count beginning with the year 1792) on the [[Election Day (United States)|Tuesday after the first Monday of November]]. [[United States presidential election, 2004|The most recent election]] occurred on [[November 2]] [[2004]]. [[United States presidential election, 2008|The next election]] is scheduled for [[November 4]] [[2008]].
The current process is an [[indirect election]]. Constitutionally, the election is by [[United States Electoral College|United States Electoral College electors]], who are chosen by methods each state individually establishes. The electors can vote for anyone, but—with rare exceptions (see [[faithless elector]])—they vote for the designated candidates and their votes are certified by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in early January. The Congress is the final judge of the electors; the last serious dispute was in [[United States presidential election, 2000]].
==How elections are administered==
The election of the president is governed by Section 1 of [[Article Two of the United States Constitution|Article Two]] of the [[United States Constitution]], as amended by Amendments [[Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution|XII]], [[Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution|XXII]], and [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution|XXIII]]. The president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]], whose members are selected from each state; the president and vice president serve four-year terms. These electors are appointed by mechanisms chosen by each state's legislature (prevailingly, by popular vote of the voters of each state). The individual who receives a majority of votes for president — as of 2008, 270 votes are needed for a majority — will be the president-elect of the United States; and the individual who receives a majority of electoral votes for vice president will be the vice president-elect of the United States. If no presidential candidate receives a majority in the Electoral College, then the [[president-elect]] will be selected by a vote of the House of Representatives, with each state receiving a single vote. If no vice presidential candidate receives a majority, then the vice president-elect will be selected by a vote of the Senate. Although rare, these latter scenarios have occurred twice in America's history; the House of Representatives chose the president in [[United States presidential election, 1824|1825]], and the Senate chose the vice president in [[United States presidential election, 1836|1837]].
Elections take place every four years on the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November (although in many states early and absentee voting begins several weeks before [[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]]). The elections are run by local election boards who ensure the fair and impartial nature of the election and prevent [[electoral fraud|tampering]] of the results.
Neither the constitution, nor the [[Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution|XII]], [[Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution|XXII]], and [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution|XXIII]] amendments describe the manner for states to select their electoral college representatives. This means then that individual citizens are not granted the right to vote for president by the federal government but rather by their respective state or local governments. This does not mean the current system is unconstitutional; it is just not constitutionally protected and individual states do have a right therefore to bar their citizens from voting for President. (''See'' [[Disfranchisement]].)
==Ballot candidates==
Voters are required to vote on a ballot where they select the candidate of their choice. The presidential ballot is actually voting "for the electors of a candidate" meaning that the voter is not actually voting for the candidate, but endorsing members of the Electoral College who will, in turn, directly elect the President.
Many voting ballots allow a voter to "blanket vote" for all candidates in a particular [[List of political parties in the United States|political party]] or to select individual candidates on a line by line voting system. Which candidates appear on the voting ticket is determined through a legal process known as [[ballot access]]. Usually, the size of the candidate's political party and the results of the major nomination conventions determine who is pre-listed on the presidential ballot. Thus, the presidential election ticket will not list every single candidate running for President, but only those who have secured a major party nomination or whose size of their political party warrants having been formally listed. Laws are in effect to have other candidates pre-listed on a ticket, provided that a sufficient number of voters have endorsed the candidate, usually through a signature list. Never, however, in U.S. history has a 3rd party candidate for president secured a place on the election ticket in this fashion. {{Fact|date=January 2008}}
The final way to be elected for president is to have one's name written in at the time of election as a [[write-in candidate]]. This is used for candidates who did not fulfill the legal requirements to be pre-listed on the voting ticket. It is also used by voters to express a distaste for the listed candidates, by writing in a ridiculous candidate for president such as [[Mickey Mouse]]. In any event, a write-in candidate has never won an election for President of the United States.
==Non-majority votes==
In the [[United States presidential election, 1800|presidential election of 1800]], Aaron Burr, Jefferson's vice presidential candidate, received the same number of electoral votes as Jefferson and challenged Jefferson's election to the office. In the end, Jefferson was chosen as the president due to Alexander Hamilton's influence in the House of Representatives. This created a deep rivalry between Burr and Hamilton which resulted in their [[Burr-Hamilton duel|famous 1804 duel]]. After this election, the [[Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution|12th Amendment]] was passed to stop a future event like this one.
In the [[United States presidential election, 1824|presidential election of 1824]], [[Andrew Jackson]] received a [[plurality]], but not a majority, of electoral votes cast. The election was thrown to the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], and [[John Quincy Adams]] was elected to the presidency. In this case as well, a deep rivalry was fermented, this time between Andrew Jackson and House Speaker [[Henry Clay]], who had also been a candidate in the election.
According to the current system, the same one used in the election of 1824, if no candidate wins a majority vote in the electoral, the President and Vice President are chosen per the [[Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution|12th Amendment]]. The selection of President is decided by a ballot of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. For the purposes of electing the President, each state only has one vote. A ballot of the [[United States Senate|Senate]] is held to choose the Vice President. In this ballot, each senator has one vote. If the President is not chosen by Inauguration Day, the Vice President-elect acts as President. If neither are chosen by then, Congress by law determines who shall act as President, pursuant to the [[Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution|20th Amendment]].
==Nominating process==
{{main|United States presidential primary|United States presidential nominating convention}}
The nominating process of U.S. presidential elections currently consists of two major parts: a series of [[United States presidential primary|presidential primary elections and caucuses]] held in each state, and the [[United States presidential nominating convention|presidential nominating conventions]] held by each [[political party]]. This process is not included in the [[United States Constitution]], and thus evolved over time.
The [[primary election]]s and [[caucus]]es are run by state and local governments. Some states only hold primary elections, some only hold caucuses, and others use a combination of both. These primaries and caucuses are staggered between January and June before the federal election, with [[Iowa]] and [[New Hampshire]] traditionally holding the first presidential state caucus and primary, respectively.
Like the general election, presidential caucuses or primaries select the candidates indirectly. The major political parties officially vote for their presidential candidate at their respective nominating conventions, usually all held in the summer before the federal election. Depending on each state's law and state's political party rules, when voters cast ballots for a candidate in a presidential caucus or primary, they may actually be voting to award delegates "bound" to vote for a candidate at the presidential nominating conventions, or they may simply be expressing an opinion that the state party is not bound to follow in selecting delegates to their respective national convention.
In addition to delegates chosen during primaries and caucuses, state delegations to both the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] conventions also include "unpledged" delegates who can vote for whomever they want. For Republicans, these include top party officials. Democrats have a more expansive group of unpledged delegates called "[[superdelegate]]s", who are party leaders and elected officials.
==Presidential election trends==
In recent decades, one of the presidential nominees of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] parties has almost always been an incumbent president or a sitting or former vice president. When the candidate has not been a president or vice president, nominees of the two main parties have been state [[Governor]]s or U.S. Senators. The last nominee from either party who had not previously served in such an office was General [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], who won the Republican nomination and ultimately the presidency in the [[United States presidential election, 1952|1952 election]].
Contemporary electoral success has favored state governors. Of the last five presidents, four ([[Jimmy Carter]], [[Ronald Reagan]], [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush]]) have been governors of a state (all except for [[George H. W. Bush]]). Geographically, these presidents were from either very large states ([[California]], [[Texas]]) or from a state south of the [[Mason-Dixon Line]] and east of Texas ([[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Arkansas]]). The last sitting U.S. Senator to be elected president was [[John F. Kennedy]] of [[Massachusetts]] in [[United States presidential election, 1960|1960]]. The only other sitting senator to be elected was [[Warren G. Harding]] in [[United States presidential election, 1920|1920]], whereas major-party candidate Senators Andrew Jackson ([[United States presidential election, 1824|1824]]), [[Lewis Cass]] ([[United States presidential election, 1848|1848]]), [[Stephen Douglas]] ([[United States presidential election, 1860|1860]]), [[Barry Goldwater]] ([[United States presidential election, 1964|1964]]), [[George McGovern]] ([[United States presidential election, 1972|1972]]), and [[John Kerry]] ([[United States presidential election, 2004|2004]]) all lost their elections. In 2008, the presumptive nominees of both major-parties are senators, so a senator will almost certainly be elected president for the 2009-2013 term.
==Results==
{| class=wikitable
|-bgcolor="#cccccc"
! Order !! Election year !! Winner !! Other Major Candidates<ref>Here a “major candidate” is defined as a candidate receiving greater than 2% of the total popular vote for elections including and after [[United States presidential election, 1824|1824]], or greater than 5 electoral votes for elections including and before [[United States presidential election, 1820|1820]]. (This column may not be complete.)</ref>
|-
| 1st
| [[United States presidential election, 1789|1789]]
| [[George Washington]] (''none'')
| [[John Adams]] (''none'')<br>[[John Jay]] (''none'')<br>[[Robert H. Harrison]] (''none'')<br>[[John Rutledge]] (''none'')
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 2nd
| [[United States presidential election, 1792|1792]]
| [[George Washington]] (''none'')
| [[John Adams]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])<br>[[George Clinton (vice president)|George Clinton]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
|-
| 3rd
| [[United States presidential election, 1796|1796]]
| [[John Adams]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])
| [[Thomas Jefferson]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])<br>[[Thomas Pinckney]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])<br>[[Aaron Burr]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])<br>[[Samuel Adams]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])<br>[[Oliver Ellsworth]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])<br>[[George Clinton (vice president)|George Clinton]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 4th
| [[United States presidential election, 1800|1800]]
| [[Thomas Jefferson]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
| [[Aaron Burr]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])<br>[[John Adams]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])<br>[[Charles Cotesworth Pinckney]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])
|-
| 5th
| [[United States presidential election, 1804|1804]]
| [[Thomas Jefferson]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
| [[Charles Cotesworth Pinckney]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 6th
| [[United States presidential election, 1808|1808]]
| [[James Madison]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
| [[Charles Cotesworth Pinckney]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])<br>[[George Clinton (vice president)|George Clinton]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])<br>[[James Monroe]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
|-
| 7th
| [[United States presidential election, 1812|1812]]
| [[James Madison]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
| [[DeWitt Clinton]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 8th
| [[United States presidential election, 1816|1816]]
| [[James Monroe]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
| [[Rufus King]] ([[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]])
|-
| 9th
| [[United States presidential election, 1820|1820]]
| [[James Monroe]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
| (''not opposed'')
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 10th
| [[United States presidential election, 1824|1824]]*†
| [[John Quincy Adams]]* ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
| [[Andrew Jackson]]† ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])<br>[[William H. Crawford]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])<br>[[Henry Clay]] ([[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]])
|-
| 11th
| [[United States presidential election, 1828|1828]]
| [[Andrew Jackson]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[John Quincy Adams]] ([[National Republican Party|National Republican]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 12th
| [[United States presidential election, 1832|1832]]
| [[Andrew Jackson]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Henry Clay]] ([[National Republican Party|National Republican]])<br>[[John Floyd (Virginia politician)|John Floyd]] ([[Nullifier Party|Nullifier]])<br>[[William Wirt (Attorney General)|William Wirt]] ([[Anti-Masonic Party|Anti-Masonic]])
|-
| 13th
| [[United States presidential election, 1836|1836]]
| [[Martin Van Buren]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[William Henry Harrison]] ([[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])<br>[[Hugh Lawson White]] ([[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])<br>[[Daniel Webster]] ([[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])<br>[[Willie Person Mangum]] ([[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 14th
| [[United States presidential election, 1840|1840]]
| [[William Henry Harrison]] ([[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])
| [[Martin Van Buren]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|-
| 15th
| [[United States presidential election, 1844|1844]]*
| [[James K. Polk]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Henry Clay]] ([[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])<br>[[James G. Birney]] ([[Liberty Party (United States)|Liberty]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 16th
| [[United States presidential election, 1848|1848]]
| [[Zachary Taylor]] ([[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])
| [[Lewis Cass]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[Martin Van Buren]] ([[Free Soil Party|Free Soil]])
|-
| 17th
| [[United States presidential election, 1852|1852]]
| [[Franklin Pierce]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Winfield Scott]] ([[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])<br>[[John P. Hale]] ([[Free Soil Party|Free Soil]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 18th
| [[United States presidential election, 1856|1856]]*
| [[James Buchanan]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[John C. Frémont]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[Millard Fillmore]] ([[Know-Nothing movement|American Party]]/[[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]])
|-
| 19th
| [[United States presidential election, 1860|1860]]*
| [[Abraham Lincoln]]* ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[John C. Breckinridge]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Southern Democrat]])<br>[[John Bell (Tennessee politician)|John Bell]] ([[Constitutional Union Party (United States)|Constitutional Union]])<br>[[Stephen A. Douglas]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Northern Democrat]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 20th
| [[United States presidential election, 1864|1864]]
| [[Abraham Lincoln]] ([[United States Republican Party|National Union Party]])
| [[George B. McClellan]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|-
| 21st
| [[United States presidential election, 1868|1868]]
| [[Ulysses S. Grant]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Horatio Seymour]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 22nd
| [[United States presidential election, 1872|1872]]
| [[Ulysses S. Grant]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Horace Greeley]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]]/[[Liberal Republican Party|Liberal Republican]])<ref>Horace Greeley died before electoral votes were cast, but had come in second in the popular vote</ref> <br>[[Thomas A. Hendricks]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[B. Gratz Brown]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]]/[[Liberal Republican Party|Liberal Republican]])
|-
| 23rd
| [[United States presidential election, 1876|1876]]*‡
| [[Rutherford B. Hayes]]* ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Samuel J. Tilden]]‡ ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 24th
| [[United States presidential election, 1880|1880]]*
| [[James A. Garfield]]* ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Winfield Scott Hancock]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[James Weaver]] ([[United States Greenback Party|Greenback]])
|-
| 25th
| [[United States presidential election, 1884|1884]]*
| [[Grover Cleveland]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[James G. Blaine]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 26th
| [[United States presidential election, 1888|1888]]*†
| [[Benjamin Harrison]]* ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Grover Cleveland]]† ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[Clinton B. Fisk]] ([[Prohibition Party|Prohibition]])
|-
| 27th
| [[United States presidential election, 1892|1892]]*
| [[Grover Cleveland]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Benjamin Harrison]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[James Weaver]] ([[Populist Party (United States)|Populist]])<br>[[John Bidwell]] ([[Prohibition Party|Prohibition]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 28th
| [[United States presidential election, 1896|1896]]
| [[William McKinley]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[William Jennings Bryan]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]]/[[United States Populist Party|Populist]])
|-
| 29th
| [[United States presidential election, 1900|1900]]
| [[William McKinley]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[William Jennings Bryan]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 30th
| [[United States presidential election, 1904|1904]]
| [[Theodore Roosevelt]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Alton B. Parker]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[Eugene V. Debs]] ([[Socialist Party of America|Socialist]])
|-
| 31st
| [[United States presidential election, 1908|1908]]
| [[William Howard Taft]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[William Jennings Bryan]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[Eugene V. Debs]] ([[Socialist Party of America|Socialist]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 32nd
| [[United States presidential election, 1912|1912]]*
| [[Woodrow Wilson]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Theodore Roosevelt]] ([[Bull-Moose Party (United States, 1912)|Bull-Moose]])<br>[[William Howard Taft]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[Eugene V. Debs]] ([[Socialist Party of America|Socialist]])
|-
| 33rd
| [[United States presidential election, 1916|1916]]*
| [[Woodrow Wilson]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Charles Evans Hughes]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[Allan L. Benson]] ([[Socialist Party of America|Socialist]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 34th
| [[United States presidential election, 1920|1920]]
| [[Warren G. Harding]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[James M. Cox]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[Eugene V. Debs]] ([[Socialist Party of America|Socialist]])
|-
| 35th
| [[United States presidential election, 1924|1924]]
| [[Calvin Coolidge]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[John W. Davis]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[Robert M. La Follette, Sr.]] ([[Progressive Party (United States, 1924)|Progressive]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 36th
| [[United States presidential election, 1928|1928]]
| [[Herbert Hoover]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Al Smith]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|-
| 37th
| [[United States presidential election, 1932|1932]]
| [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Herbert Hoover]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[Norman Thomas]] ([[Socialist Party of America|Socialist]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 38th
| [[United States presidential election, 1936|1936]]
| [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Alf Landon]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
|-
| 39th
| [[United States presidential election, 1940|1940]]
| [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Wendell Willkie]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 40th
| [[United States presidential election, 1944|1944]]
| [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Thomas E. Dewey]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
|-
| 41st
| [[United States presidential election, 1948|1948]]*
| [[Harry S Truman]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Thomas E. Dewey]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[Strom Thurmond]] ([[Dixiecrat|States' Rights Democratic]])<br>[[Henry A. Wallace]] ([[Progressive Party (United States, 1948)|Progressive]]/[[American Labor Party|Labor]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 42nd
| [[United States presidential election, 1952|1952]]
| [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Adlai Stevenson]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|-
| 43rd
| [[United States presidential election, 1956|1956]]
| [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Adlai Stevenson]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 44th
| [[United States presidential election, 1960|1960]]*
| [[John F. Kennedy]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Richard Nixon]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[Harry F. Byrd]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|-
| 45th
| [[United States presidential election, 1964|1964]]
| [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Barry Goldwater]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 46th
| [[United States presidential election, 1968|1968]]*
| [[Richard Nixon]]* ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Hubert Humphrey]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[George Wallace]] ([[American Independent Party|American Independent]])
|-
| 47th
| [[United States presidential election, 1972|1972]]
| [[Richard Nixon]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[George McGovern]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 48th
| [[United States presidential election, 1976|1976]]
| [[Jimmy Carter]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Gerald Ford]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
|-
| 49th
| [[United States presidential election, 1980|1980]]
| [[Ronald Reagan]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Jimmy Carter]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[John B. Anderson]] (''none'')
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 50th
| [[United States presidential election, 1984|1984]]
| [[Ronald Reagan]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Walter Mondale]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|-
| 51st
| [[United States presidential election, 1988|1988]]
| [[George H. W. Bush]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Michael Dukakis]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 52nd
| [[United States presidential election, 1992|1992]]*
| [[Bill Clinton]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[George H. W. Bush]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[Ross Perot]] (''none'')
|-
| 53rd
| [[United States presidential election, 1996|1996]]*
| [[Bill Clinton]]* ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
| [[Bob Dole]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])<br>[[Ross Perot]] ([[United States Reform Party|Reform]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 54th
| [[United States presidential election, 2000|2000]]*†
| [[George W. Bush]]* ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[Al Gore]]† ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])<br>[[Ralph Nader]] ([[United States Green Party|Green]])
|-
| 55th
| [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004]]
| [[George W. Bush]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]])
| [[John Kerry]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]])
|- bgcolor="#f1f2d0"
| 56th
| [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008]]
| ''yet to be determined''
| [[John McCain]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]]) (presumptive nominee)<br>[[Barack Obama]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]]) (presumptive nominee)
|}
:''<nowiki>*</nowiki> Winner received less than an [[absolute majority]] of the popular vote.''
:'' † Losing candidate received a [[plurality]] of the popular vote.''
:'' ‡ Losing candidate received an [[absolute majority]] of the popular vote.''
==Voter turnout==
[[Voter turnout]] in presidential elections has been on the decline in recent years, although the 2004 election showed a noticeable increase over the turnout in 1996 and 2000. While voter turnout has been decreasing, voter registration has been increasing. Registration rates varied from 65% to 70% of the voting age population from the 1960s to the 1980s, and due in part to greater government outreach programs, registration swelled to 75% in 1996 and 2000. Despite greater registration, however, turnout in general has not greatly improved.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fec.gov/pages/htmlto5.htm|title=National Voter Turnout in Federal Elections: 1960-1996|publisher=[[Federal Election Commission]]|date=2003-07-29|accessdate=2007-12-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html|title=Election Information: Election Statistics|publisher=[[Office of the Clerk]]|accessdate=2007-12-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|title=Voting and Registration Date|accessdate=2007-12-09}}</ref>
{| class=wikitable
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Election
! Voting Age Population ¹
! Turnout
! % Turnout of VAP
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004]]
| 215,694,000
| 122,295,345
| 56.69%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 2000|2000]]
| 205,815,000
| 105,586,274
| 51.31%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1996|1996]]
| 196,511,000
| 96,456,345
| 49.08%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1992|1992]]
| 189,529,000
| 104,405,155
| 55.09%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1988|1988]]
| 182,778,000
| 91,594,693
| 50.11%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1984|1984]]
| 174,466,000
| 92,652,680
| 53.11%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1980|1980]]
| 164,597,000
| 86,515,221
| 52.56%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1976|1976]]
| 152,309,190
| 81,555,789
| 53.55%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1972|1972]]
| 140,776,000
| 77,718,554
| 55.21%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1968|1968]]
| 120,328,186
| 73,199,998
| 60.83%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1964|1964]]
| 114,090,000
| 70,644,592
| 60.92%
|-
| [[United States presidential election, 1960|1960]]
| 109,159,000
| 68,838,204
| 63.06%
|}
¹ The voting age population includes all persons age 18 and over as reported by the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], which necessarily includes a significant number of persons ineligible to vote, such as non-citizens, felons, and the mentally incompetent. The actual number of ''eligible voters'' is somewhat lower, and the number of ''registered voters'' is lower still. The number of non-citizens in 1994 was approximately 13 million, and in 1996, felons numbered around 1.3 million, so it can be estimated that around 7-10% of the voting age population is ineligible to vote.
Note that the large drop in percentage turnout between 1968 and 1972 can be attributed (at least in part) to the expansion of the franchise to 18 year olds (previously restricted to those 21 and older).
==See also==
{{Commons}}
*[[United States presidential primary]]
*[[United States presidential nominating convention]]
*[[United States presidential election debates]]
*[[List of United States presidential elections by Electoral College margin]]
*[[American election campaigns in the 19th century]]
*[[United States presidential election, 2008]]
*[[Comparison of United States presidential candidates, 2008]]
*[[United States Election Night Television Coverage]]
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
* Presidents John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur and Gerald Ford served as president but never won an election for president.
* Ford was never elected vice-president.
* Tyler and A. Johnson were never major candidates, not even as incumbent presidents.
* Fillmore was a major candidate, but not as an incumbent.
==External links==
*[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou.php The American Presidency Project (UC Santa Barbara: 52,000+ Presidential Documents)]
*[http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/votes/index.html Electoral College Box Scores]
*[http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-2/elections.html Teaching about Presidential Elections]
*[http://geoelections.free.fr/ All the maps since 1840 by counties] (French language site)
*[http://uselectionatlas.org/ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections]
*[http://uspresidentialelections.webs.com/ History of U.S. Presidential Elections: 1789-2004]
*[http://www.davegentile.com/philosophy/Vermont.html A history of the presidency from the point of view of Vermont] Discusses history of American presidential elections with two states as opposite "poles", Vermont, and Alabama
*[http://www.livingroomcandidate.com The Living Room Candidate: A Compilation of Presidential Television Ads]
*[http://www.presidentialcampaigns.org Presidential Campaigns - News, Polls and More]
*[http://dca.tufts.edu/features/aas A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787-1825]
* [http://www.msu.edu/~sheppa28/elections.html How close were Presidential Elections?] - Michael Sheppard, Michigan State University
* [http://www.bessereweltlinks.de/open.php?id=59799 Better World Links on the U.S. Presidential Election]
{{USPresidentialElections}}
[[Category:United States presidential elections|*]]
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[[es:Elecciones presidenciales en Estados Unidos]]
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