49 Fun Facts About US Presidential Elections

Who was the first President of the United States?

George Washington was unanimously elected the first President in 1789 and served two terms until 1797; he is the only president to have won a vote from every elector, doing so in both 1789 and 1792.

How many electoral votes does a presidential candidate need to win the presidency?

A candidate needs 270 of the 538 electoral votes available, an absolute majority; anything less sends the choice to the House of Representatives.

Which president served two non-consecutive terms, making him both the 22nd and 24th president?

Cleveland lost his 1888 re-election bid despite winning the popular vote, then returned to the White House four years later.

Who was the first Catholic to win a major party's presidential nomination?

Smith, the Democratic governor of New York, lost the 1928 election to Herbert Hoover in a landslide, with anti-Catholic sentiment a major factor in his defeat.

Which famous campaign slogan was used by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952?

"I Like Ike" became one of the most iconic campaign slogans in American history. Eisenhower's nickname was "Ike," and the catchy slogan helped propel him to a landslide victory in 1952.

What day of the week are US presidential elections always held on?

US presidential elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, a tradition established by Congress in 1845 to accommodate the agrarian schedule of the time.

Which state is traditionally the first to hold its presidential primary?

New Hampshire has held the first-in-the-nation presidential primary since 1920. Iowa traditionally held the first caucus, but New Hampshire's primary has been the first actual primary election.

Who was the Northern Democrats' nominee against Abraham Lincoln in 1860?

Stephen A. Douglas was the Northern Democratic candidate in 1860. The Democratic Party split that year, with Southern Democrats nominating John C. Breckinridge. Lincoln won with less than 40% of the popular vote.

How often are US presidential elections held?

US presidential elections are held every four years, as established by the Constitution. The cycle runs in years divisible by four (2020, 2024, 2028, etc.).

Which change to the US Constitution guaranteed women the right to vote nationwide?

The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited denying the right to vote based on sex. It was the culmination of decades of work by the women's suffrage movement.

The 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore was decided by a controversial recount in which state?

Bush carried Florida by just 537 votes out of nearly six million cast, and the Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore ruling on December 12, 2000 halted further recounting.

What is the body of 538 members who formally choose the president called?

The Electoral College is a body of 538 electors established by the Constitution. Each state gets electors equal to its total Congressional representation (House + Senate seats).

Which candidate won 525 electoral votes, carrying 49 of 50 states?

Ronald Reagan won 525 electoral votes in 1984, carrying every state except Minnesota, Walter Mondale's home state, plus Washington D.C.; it was the most electoral votes any candidate had ever won.

Who is the youngest person ever elected US president, winning office at the age of 43?

John F. Kennedy, elected in 1960; Theodore Roosevelt became president at 42, but through succession after McKinley's assassination, not by election.

"Yes We Can" was the campaign slogan of which presidential candidate?

"Yes We Can" ("Si se puede" in Spanish) was Barack Obama's iconic 2008 campaign slogan, which became a rallying cry for his historic presidential bid.

Which two candidates met in the first televised US presidential debate, in a Chicago studio in 1960?

Kennedy and Nixon, on September 26, 1960, at WBBM-TV; the senator's composed look against the vice president's pale, sweaty one showed television's power in politics.

Which candidate's 18.9% in 1992 was the best non-major-party showing since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912?

Texas billionaire Ross Perot ran as an independent in 1992, winning 18.9% of the popular vote — though he didn't carry any states. His candidacy focused on the national debt and trade issues.

What are competitive states that either party could win in a presidential election called?

Swing states (also called battleground states) are competitive states where neither party has overwhelming support. Examples include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia.

Which president was photographed holding a newspaper wrongly declaring Dewey had beaten him?

The Chicago Daily Tribune printed 'DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN' in early editions on November 3, 1948; two days later Harry S. Truman posed with the paper at St. Louis Union Station, creating one of the most iconic images in election history.

Who was the first woman to be nominated for vice president by a major party?

Geraldine Ferraro was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1984, running alongside Walter Mondale. She was the first woman nominated for VP by a major party, 24 years before Sarah Palin.

Which Republican won the presidency in 1888 despite losing the popular vote to the Democratic incumbent Grover Cleveland?

Benjamin Harrison won 233 electoral votes to Cleveland's 168 while Cleveland received about 90,000 more popular votes, making 1888 one of five elections in which the popular-vote winner lost.

Which candidate's 'Daisy' ad showed a girl counting petals before a nuclear blast?

Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign aired 'Daisy' once, on September 7, 1964, implying that Barry Goldwater might start a nuclear war; the ad never named him.

In which year was the 22nd Amendment, limiting presidents to two elected terms, ratified?

The 22nd Amendment was ratified on February 27, 1951; Congress had proposed it in 1947 as a reaction to Franklin D. Roosevelt winning four consecutive elections.

In which election did the House decide the winner because no candidate had an electoral majority?

In 1824 four major candidates split the electoral vote, and under the 12th Amendment the House chose John Quincy Adams even though Andrew Jackson had won the most popular and electoral votes.

Which president's campaign used the slogan "Make America Great Again"?

"Make America Great Again" (MAGA) was Donald Trump's signature slogan in his 2016 presidential campaign. Interestingly, Ronald Reagan had used a similar phrase — "Let's Make America Great Again" — in his 1980 campaign.

What is the minimum age required to run for President of the United States?

Article II of the Constitution requires presidential candidates to be at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and a resident of the US for at least 14 years.

Which vice president set a new record for Senate tie-breaking votes, reaching 33 by 2024?

Kamala Harris cast 33 tie-breaking votes, passing John C. Calhoun's 31 in December 2023, mostly while presiding over a 50-50 Senate; they included the votes that passed the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.

In which year did the 26th Amendment lower the voting age from 21 to 18?

The 26th Amendment was ratified in 1971, lowering the voting age to 18. The push was fueled by the Vietnam War era argument that if 18-year-olds could be drafted to fight, they should be able to vote.

Which Democrat lost to Dwight D. Eisenhower in both the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections?

Stevenson, the governor of Illinois, was beaten in landslides both times, but his eloquent speeches made him a hero of the party's liberal wing.

Who was the first sitting president to lose a re-election bid in the 20th century?

Taft finished third in 1912 with just eight electoral votes, still the worst showing by any incumbent, after Theodore Roosevelt's third-party run split the Republican vote.

Before George H. W. Bush in 1988, who was the last sitting vice president to be elected president?

Bush's 1988 victory was the first by an incumbent vice president in 152 years; Van Buren had succeeded Andrew Jackson after the 1836 election.

The Compromise of 1877 resolved the disputed presidential election of 1876 between which two candidates?

The 1876 election between Hayes and Tilden was one of the most disputed in US history. The Compromise of 1877 gave Hayes the presidency in exchange for withdrawing federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.

Which inauguration was the first to be broadcast on television?

Harry Truman's inauguration on January 20, 1949, was the first to be broadcast on television, reaching an estimated 10 million viewers. It marked the beginning of TV's role in presidential ceremonies.

The 1840 campaign song "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" was written for the ticket of which party?

The Whig Party's 1840 ticket; Ohio jeweler Alexander Coffman Ross wrote the song praising the 'hero of Tippecanoe' and mocking the Democratic incumbent Martin Van Buren as 'Little Van'.

In the US Electoral College, what does the term 'faithless elector' describe?

Someone pledged to a candidate who then votes for another, or abstains; it has happened 165 times, and in 2020 the Supreme Court ruled that states may punish or replace them.

Who is the only US president never elected president or vice president?

Ford was appointed vice president under the 25th Amendment after Spiro Agnew resigned, succeeded Richard Nixon in 1974, and then lost his own bid in 1976.

In which election did a candidate run effectively unopposed, taking all but one electoral vote?

James Monroe ran effectively unopposed in 1820 and took 231 of the 232 electoral votes cast; the single dissent came from New Hampshire elector William Plumer, who voted for John Quincy Adams instead.

The "October Surprise" theory is most commonly associated with which presidential election?

The term "October Surprise" is most associated with the 1980 election, referring to the theory that Reagan's campaign made a deal to delay the release of American hostages in Iran until after the election to prevent Carter from getting a boost.

Who was the first woman to win a major US party's nomination for president?

Hillary Clinton, formally nominated at the 2016 Democratic convention in Philadelphia; she went on to win the popular vote but lose the election.

Which state has the most electoral votes in presidential elections?

California has 54 electors under the 2020 Census apportionment, well ahead of runner-up Texas at 40; the count holds until the 2030 Census reapportionment.

Which president ran on the campaign promise of a "New Deal" during the Great Depression?

Franklin D. Roosevelt campaigned on the promise of a "New Deal for the American people" in 1932. Once elected, the New Deal became a series of programs and reforms aimed at economic recovery during the Great Depression.

What is the practice of redrawing electoral district boundaries to favour one party called?

Gerrymandering, a portmanteau of salamander and Elbridge Gerry, who as governor in 1812 signed a bill creating a Boston-area district compared to the creature's shape.

Which two states award electoral votes by congressional district rather than winner-take-all?

Maine and Nebraska use the congressional district method, awarding two electoral votes to the statewide winner and one vote per congressional district. All other states use winner-take-all.

What did Andrew Jackson's supporters allege in the 'corrupt bargain' of his first presidential bid?

Speaker Henry Clay threw his support behind Adams in the House vote, Adams then named Clay Secretary of State, and Jackson rode the resulting outrage to victory four years later.

Which president delivered the longest inaugural address in history, then died about a month into office?

William Henry Harrison's 8,445-word speech on March 4, 1841 ran nearly two hours in cold, wet weather; he died 31 days later, the shortest presidency in U.S. history.

What was the significance of the election of 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson?

Federalist Adams handed the presidency to Democratic-Republican Jefferson, setting a precedent that power could change hands between opposing parties without violence.

Alleged voter fraud in which two states nearly led Nixon to contest the 1960 election?

The 1960 election was so close that allegations of voter fraud in Illinois (especially Chicago) and Texas nearly prompted Nixon to contest the results. Nixon ultimately chose not to challenge, fearing a constitutional crisis.

Ratified in 1933, which change to the Constitution moved Inauguration Day from March 4 to January 20?

The 20th Amendment, known as the "Lame Duck Amendment," moved Inauguration Day to January 20 to shorten the transition period between administrations. FDR was the first president inaugurated under this new schedule in 1937.

Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party of 1912 was popularly known by what nickname?

The Bull Moose Party, after Roosevelt declared he felt 'as strong as a bull moose'; he came in second, ahead of incumbent Taft, but lost to Woodrow Wilson.