The 1916 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 7, 1916. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1900s had seen Virginia, like all former Confederate States, almost completely disenfranchise its black and poor white populations through the use of a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests. So severe was the disenfranchising effect of the new 1902 Constitution that the electorate for the 1904 presidential election was halved compared to that of previous elections, and it has been calculated that a third of those who voted were state employees and officeholders.
This limited electorate meant Virginian politics was controlled by political machines based in Southside Virginia — firstly one led by Thomas Staples Martin and after he died the Byrd Organization. Progressive “antiorganization” factions were rendered impotent by the inability of almost all of their potential electorate to vote. Unlike the Deep South, historical fusion with the “Readjuster” Democrats, defection of substantial proportions of the Northeast-aligned white electorate of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia over free silver, and an early move towards a “lily white” Jim Crow party meant that in general elections the Republicans retained around one-third of the small statewide electorate,Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 210, 242 with the majority of GOP support located in the western part of the state. However, in many parts of the state — like in Tennessee during the same period — the parties avoided competition by an agreed division over local offices.
Unlike in 1908, neither major party campaigned in the state — which had voted Democratic in every election since 1876 — during the fall. A straw ballot taken early in September saw Democratic nominee and incumbent President Woodrow Wilson gaining seventy-nine votes to the Republican nominee, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Hughes’ six. Later straw polls in October did not even include the state, and ultimately Virginia voted for Wilson by a slightly greater majority than he had won four years previously. Wilson ultimately won the national election with 49.24 percent of the vote.
Results 1916 United States presidential election in VirginiaPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votesDemocraticWoodrow Wilson (inc.)102,82466.77%12RepublicanCharles E. Hughes49,35632.05%0SocialistAllan L. Benson1,0620.69%0ProhibitionFrank Hanly6830.45%0Socialist LaborArthur E. Reimer670.04%0Totals153,992100.00%12
Results by county 1916 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent citiesRobinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 354-361 County orIndependent City Woodrow WilsonDemocratic Charles E. HughesRepublican Allan L. BensonSocialist Frank HanlyProhibition Arthur E. ReimerSocialist Labor Margin Total votescast # % # % # % # % # % # %Accomack County1,74584.30%29914.44%00.00%261.26%00.00%1,44669.86%2,070Albemarle County1,37686.05%22313.95%00.00%00.00%00.00%1,15372.11%1,599Alexandria County51554.21%41243.37%141.47%80.84%10.11%10310.84%950Alleghany County54454.78%43243.50%30.30%141.41%00.00%11211.28%993Amelia County40382.58%8016.39%10.20%30.61%10.20%32366.19%488Amherst County1,14291.58%937.46%100.80%10.08%10.08%1,04984.12%1,247Appomattox County70083.73%13315.91%20.24%00.00%10.12%56767.82%836Augusta County1,75166.23%84531.96%80.30%401.51%00.00%90634.27%2,644Bath County38763.24%21935.78%00.00%60.98%00.00%16827.45%612Bedford County1,62884.05%29815.38%70.36%40.21%00.00%1,33068.66%1,937Bland County35645.64%42053.85%00.00%40.51%00.00% -64 -8.21%780Botetourt County90053.22%77545.83%20.12%130.77%10.06%1257.39%1,691Brunswick County77290.40%829.60%00.00%00.00%00.00%69080.80%854Buchanan County72046.33%82753.22%10.06%30.19%30.19% -107 -6.89%1,554Buckingham County62576.78%18122.24%70.86%10.12%00.00%44454.55%814Campbell County1,00779.60%18514.62%675.30%60.47%00.00%82264.98%1,265Caroline County63775.83%19823.57%00.00%40.48%10.12%43952.26%840Carroll County85837.60%1,42462.40%00.00%00.00%00.00% -566 -24.80%2,282Charles City County13970.56%5728.93%00.00%10.51%00.00%8241.62%197Charlotte County85678.39%22720.79%90.82%00.00%00.00%62957.60%1,092Chesterfield County69981.47%14116.43%101.17%80.93%00.00%55865.03%858Clarke County59092.19%497.66%00.00%10.16%00.00%54184.53%640Craig County36964.62%20035.03%20.35%00.00%00.00%16929.60%571Culpeper County84981.79%18417.73%10.10%40.39%00.00%66564.07%1,038Cumberland County44685.93%7314.07%00.00%00.00%00.00%37371.87%519Dickenson County65045.42%75352.62%271.89%10.07%00.00% -103 -7.20%1,431Dinwiddie County59287.32%8512.54%00.00%10.15%00.00%50774.78%678Elizabeth City County41173.39%13223.57%101.79%50.89%20.36%27949.82%560Essex County30279.68%7720.32%00.00%00.00%00.00%22559.37%379Fairfax County1,17970.77%47228.33%50.30%100.60%00.00%70742.44%1,666Fauquier County1,20476.49%36723.32%20.13%10.06%00.00%83753.18%1,574Floyd County47234.58%89365.42%00.00%00.00%00.00% -421 -30.84%1,365Fluvanna County51386.36%8113.64%00.00%00.00%00.00%43272.73%594Franklin County1,48157.36%1,09442.37%60.23%10.04%00.00%38714.99%2,582Frederick County1,19475.52%36623.15%110.70%100.63%00.00%82852.37%1,581Giles County83958.26%59641.39%20.14%20.14%10.07%24316.88%1,440Gloucester County58280.17%14219.56%00.00%00.00%20.28%44060.61%726Goochland County41367.59%19331.59%50.82%00.00%00.00%22036.01%611Grayson County96743.66%1,24456.16%20.09%10.05%10.05% -277 -12.51%2,215Greene County22148.04%23951.96%00.00%00.00%00.00% -18 -3.91%460Greensville County39283.40%7616.17%00.00%20.43%00.00%31667.23%470Halifax County1,78177.74%49321.52%150.65%20.09%00.00%1,28856.22%2,291Hanover County76086.96%10211.67%70.80%50.57%00.00%65875.29%874Henrico County69081.18%14016.47%151.76%10.12%40.47%55064.71%850Henry County85159.55%56739.68%60.42%50.35%00.00%28419.87%1,429Highland County37054.17%31045.39%00.00%30.44%00.00%608.78%683Isle of Wight County67982.80%14017.07%00.00%10.12%00.00%53965.73%820James City County12777.91%3420.86%00.00%21.23%00.00%9357.06%163King and Queen County27168.09%12731.91%00.00%00.00%00.00%14436.18%398King George County22350.34%21748.98%10.23%20.45%00.00%61.35%443King William County34274.19%11925.81%00.00%00.00%00.00%22348.37%461Lancaster County46188.31%5811.11%00.00%30.57%00.00%40377.20%522Lee County1,28744.86%1,56954.69%110.38%10.03%10.03% -282 -9.83%2,869Loudoun County1,49077.52%40421.02%20.10%261.35%00.00%1,08656.50%1,922Louisa County71072.08%26326.70%80.81%40.41%00.00%44745.38%985Lunenburg County81486.87%11011.74%121.28%00.00%10.11%70475.13%937Madison County57261.64%34837.50%00.00%70.75%10.11%22424.14%928Mathews County54983.94%9013.76%00.00%152.29%00.00%45970.18%654Mecklenburg County1,31785.30%22214.38%00.00%50.32%00.00%1,09570.92%1,544Middlesex County37370.64%15529.36%00.00%00.00%00.00%21841.29%528Montgomery County76545.89%89153.45%10.06%100.60%00.00% -126 -7.56%1,667Nansemond County66390.45%709.55%00.00%00.00%00.00%59380.90%733Nelson County1,06381.02%24918.98%00.00%00.00%00.00%81462.04%1,312New Kent County19272.73%6926.14%10.38%20.76%00.00%12346.59%264Norfolk County1,61268.98%68429.27%190.81%80.34%140.60%92839.71%2,337Northampton County80287.17%10911.85%00.00%90.98%00.00%69375.33%920Northumberland County50381.52%11117.99%00.00%30.49%00.00%39263.53%617Nottoway County60885.88%9112.85%40.56%50.71%00.00%51773.02%708Orange County60879.58%15320.03%10.13%10.13%10.13%45559.55%764Page County84257.01%61341.50%40.27%171.15%10.07%22915.50%1,477Patrick County87251.60%81548.22%10.06%20.12%00.00%573.37%1,690Pittsylvania County2,01270.52%80128.08%301.05%100.35%00.00%1,21142.45%2,853Powhatan County23367.34%11232.37%10.29%00.00%00.00%12134.97%346Prince Edward County66886.08%10813.92%00.00%00.00%00.00%56072.16%776Prince George County25877.95%7221.75%10.30%00.00%00.00%18656.19%331Prince William County75479.37%19220.21%20.21%20.21%00.00%56259.16%950Princess Anne County51588.34%6711.49%00.00%10.17%00.00%44876.84%583Pulaski County1,05756.71%72138.68%00.00%864.61%00.00%33618.03%1,864Rappahannock County40181.50%8417.07%71.42%00.00%00.00%31764.43%492Richmond County32964.64%18035.36%00.00%00.00%00.00%14929.27%509Roanoke County85063.24%46034.23%261.93%80.60%00.00%39029.02%1,344Rockbridge County1,04963.15%60136.18%60.36%50.30%00.00%44826.97%1,661Rockingham County1,65054.78%1,32243.89%150.50%250.83%00.00%32810.89%3,012Russell County1,57052.49%1,41047.14%40.13%40.13%30.10%1605.35%2,991Scott County1,31942.87%1,74356.65%130.42%10.03%10.03% -424 -13.78%3,077Shenandoah County1,44049.21%1,42548.70%371.26%240.82%00.00%150.51%2,926Smyth County1,13446.04%1,32153.63%50.20%20.08%10.04% -187 -7.59%2,463Southampton County1,04589.09%12810.91%00.00%00.00%00.00%91778.18%1,173Spotsylvania County39861.33%24938.37%00.00%20.31%00.00%14922.96%649Stafford County44451.15%42248.62%00.00%20.23%00.00%222.53%868Surry County43081.59%9017.08%40.76%30.57%00.00%34064.52%527Sussex County48682.79%9616.35%20.34%30.51%00.00%39066.44%587Tazewell County1,10840.74%1,59158.49%110.40%100.37%00.00% -483 -17.76%2,720Warren County58372.24%21426.52%00.00%101.24%00.00%36945.72%807Warwick County9764.67%5335.33%00.00%00.00%00.00%4429.33%150Washington County1,86351.91%1,71747.84%20.06%70.20%00.00%1464.07%3,589Westmoreland County33872.69%12627.10%10.22%00.00%00.00%21245.59%465Wise County1,46843.63%1,86255.33%330.98%10.03%10.03% -394 -11.71%3,365Wythe County1,33449.23%1,37050.55%20.07%20.07%20.07% -36 -1.33%2,710York County24782.89%5117.11%00.00%00.00%00.00%19665.77%298Alexandria City1,03873.51%36425.78%60.42%30.00%10.07%67447.73%1,412Bristol City48972.23%18427.18%30.44%10.60%00.00%30545.05%677Buena Vista City15862.70%9236.51%00.00%20.30%00.00%6626.19%252Charlottesville City61883.63%11715.83%30.41%10.83%00.00%50167.79%739Clifton Forge City45574.35%10416.99%487.84%50.13%00.00%35157.35%612Danville City1,15176.99%22915.32%1077.16%70.03%10.07%92261.67%1,495Fredericksburg City38068.59%17331.23%00.00%10.82%00.00%20737.36%554Hampton City35085.37%5613.66%30.73%10.08%00.00%29471.71%410Harrisonburg City34651.64%31947.61%40.60%10.00%00.00%274.03%670Hopewell City2485.71%310.71%13.57%00.31%00.00%2175.00%28Lynchburg City1,46579.53%35319.16%160.87%80.23%00.00%1,11260.37%1,842Newport News City93964.10%46531.74%523.55%50.57%40.27%47432.35%1,465Norfolk City3,23475.35%96322.44%721.68%230.51%00.00%2,27152.91%4,292Petersburg City1,15587.04%16112.13%30.23%70.37%10.08%99474.91%1,327Portsmouth City1,36875.54%37620.76%522.87%131.24%20.11%99254.78%1,811Radford City20663.00%11535.17%51.53%10.00%00.00%9127.83%327Richmond City6,98784.15%1,21014.57%760.92%240.20%60.07%5,77769.58%8,303Roanoke City2,24676.14%61020.68%782.64%100.00%60.20%1,63655.46%2,950Staunton City51161.34%31137.33%00.00%110.03%00.00%20024.01%833Suffolk City43772.35%15826.16%10.17%80.07%00.00%27946.19%604Williamsburg City9782.20%2117.80%00.00%00.00%00.00%7664.41%118Winchester City46868.42%19628.65%20.29%182.63%00.00%27239.77%684Totals102,82566.78%49,35832.05%1,0620.69%6830.44%670.04%53,46734.72%153,984
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