List of United States presidential candidates by number of votes received

Following is a list of United States presidential candidates by number of votes received. Elections have tended to have more participation in each successive election, due to the increasing population of the United States, and, in some instances, expansion of the right to vote to larger segments of society. Prior to the election of 1824, most states did not have a popular vote. In the election of 1824, only 18 of the 24 states held a popular vote, but by the election of 1828, 22 of the 24 states held a popular vote. Minor candidates are excluded if they received fewer than 100,000 votes or less than 0.1% of the vote in their election year.

List of candidates Popular votes in individual elections +List of presidential candidates by votes in individual elections1996 Presidential General Election Results. 2000 Presidential General Election Results by State 2004 Presidential General Election Results 2008 official Federal Election Commission report 2012 official Federal Election Commission report 2016 official Federal Election Commission report Candidate Year Party Popular vote Percentage Notes 2020 Democratic 51.31% Winner 2024 Republican 49.80% Winner (former president). 2024 Democratic 48.32% Runner-up. 2020 Republican 46.85% Runner-up (incumbent). 2008 Democratic 52.93% Winner. 2012 Democratic 51.06% Winner (incumbent). 2016 Democratic 48.18% Runner-up. Won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College. 2016 Republican 46.09% Winner. Lost the popular vote, but won the Electoral College. 2004 Republican 50.73% Winner (incumbent). 2012 Republican 47.20% Runner-up. 2008 Republican 45.65% Runner-up. 2004 Democratic 48.27% Runner-up. 1984 Republican 58.77% Winner (incumbent). 2000 Democratic 48.38% Runner-up. Won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College. 2000 Republican 47.86% Winner. Lost the popular vote, but won the Electoral College. 1988 Republican 53.37% Winner. 1996 Democratic 49.24% Winner (incumbent). 1972 Republican 60.67% Winner (incumbent). 1992 Democratic 43.01% Winner. 1980 Republican 50.75% Winner. 1964 Democratic 61.05% Winner (incumbent). 1988 Democratic 45.65% Runner-up. 1976 Democratic 50.08% Winner. 1996 Republican 40.71% Runner-up. 1976 Republican 48.02% Runner-up (incumbent). 1992 Republican 37.45% Runner-up (incumbent). 1984 Democratic 40.56% Runner-up. 1956 Republican 57.37% Winner (incumbent). 1980 Democratic 41.01% Runner-up (incumbent). 1960 Democratic 49.72% Winner. 1960 Republican 49.55% Runner-up. 1952 Republican 55.18% Winner. 1968 Republican 43.42% Winner. 1968 Democratic 42.72% Runner-up. 1972 Democratic 37.52% Runner-up. 1936 Democratic 60.80% Winner (incumbent). 1952 Democratic 44.33% Runner-up. 1940 Democratic 54.74% Winner (incumbent). 1964 Republican 38.47% Runner-up. 1956 Democratic 41.97% Runner-up. 1944 Democratic 53.39% Winner (incumbent). 1948 Democratic 49.55% Winner (incumbent). 1932 Democratic 57.41% Winner. 1940 Republican 44.78% Runner-up. 1944 Republican 45.89% Runner-up. 1948 Republican 45.07% Runner-up. 1928 Republican 58.11% Winner. 1992 Independent 18.91% Highest vote total of any third-party or independent candidate and highest vote total of anyone to not win electoral votes. 1936 Republican 36.54% Runner-up. 1920 Republican 60.35% Winner. 1932 Republican 39.6% Runner-up (incumbent). 1924 Republican 54.0% Winner (incumbent). 1928 Democratic 40.90% Runner-up. 1968 American Independent 13.5% Third-party candidate. Last third-party candidate to receive pledged electoral college votes from any state. 1920 Democratic 34.12% Runner-up. 1916 Democratic 49.24% Winner (incumbent). 1916 Republican 46.12% Runner-up. 1924 Democratic 28.8% Runner-up. 1996 Reform 8.40% Third-party candidate. 1908 Republican 51.57% Winner. 1904 Republican 56.42% Winner (incumbent). 1900 Republican 51.64% Winner (incumbent). 1896 Republican 51.03% Winner. 1896 Democratic 46.70% Runner-up. Also endorsed by the Populist Party and the Silver Party. 1908 Democratic 43.04% Runner-up. 1900 Democratic 45.5% Runner-up. 1912 Democratic 41.84% Winner. 1980 Independent 6.61% Independent candidate. 1892 Democratic 46.02% Winner (former president). 1888 Democratic 48.6% Runner-up (incumbent). Won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College. 1888 Republican 47.8% Winner. Lost the popular vote, but won the Electoral College. 1892 Republican 43.0% Runner-up (incumbent). 1904 Democratic 37.59% Runner-up. 1884 Democratic 48.8% Winner. 1884 Republican 48.3% Runner-up. 1924 Progressive 16.6% Third-party candidate. Also endorsed by the Socialist Party and the Farmer–Labor Party. 2016 Libertarian 3.28% Third-party candidate. 1880 Republican 48.32% Winner. 1880 Democratic 48.21% Runner-up. 1876 Democratic 50.9% Runner-up. Won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College. 1912 Progressive 27.40% Runner-up (former president). 1876 Republican 47.9% Winner. Lost the popular vote, but won the Electoral College. 1872 Republican 55.6% Winner (incumbent). 1912 Republican 23.17% Third place (incumbent). Only post-Civil War election in which a candidate from one of the two major parties came in third place. 1868 Republican 52.7% Winner. 2000 Green 2.74% Third-party candidate. 1872 Liberal Republican 43.8% Runner-up. Also endorsed by the Democratic Party. 1868 Democratic 47.3% Runner-up. 1864 National Union 55.1% Winner (incumbent). Lincoln was the only member of the National Union party elected president. 2020 Libertarian 1.18% Third-party candidate. 1860 Republican 39.7% Winner. Lincoln was the first member of the Republican party elected president. 1856 Democratic 45.3% Winner. 1864 Democratic 44.9% Runner-up. 1852 Democratic 50.84% Winner. 2016 Green 1.07% Third-party candidate. 1852 Whig 43.87% Runner-up. 1860 Northern Democratic 21.5% Runner-up. 1848 Whig 47.3% Winner. Taylor was the last member of the Whig party elected president. 1856 Republican 33.1% Runner-up. 1844 Democratic 49.4% Winner. 1844 Whig 48.2% Runner-up. 2012 Libertarian 0.99% Third-party candidate. 1840 Whig 52.87% Winner. Harrison was the first member of the Whig party elected president. 1848 Democratic 42.5% Runner-up. 1948 Dixiecrat 2.41% Third-party candidate. 1948 Progressive 2.37% Third-party candidate. 1840 Democratic 46.82% Runner-up (incumbent). 1972 American Independent 1.42% Independent candidate. 1892 Populist 8.6% Third-party candidate. 1980 Libertarian 1.06% Third-party candidate. 1920 Socialist 3.41% Third-party candidate. 1912 Socialist 5.99% Third-party candidate. 1936 Union 1.95% Third-party candidate. 1932 Socialist 2.23% Third-party candidate. 1856 American 21.5% Third-party candidate. Also endorsed by the Whig Party. 2024 Green 0.56% Third-party candidate. 1860 Southern Democratic 14.4% Party split. 1836 Democratic 50.8% Winner. 2024 Independent 0.49% Independent candidate. 1976 Independent 0.91% Independent candidate. 2008 Independent 0.56% Independent candidate. 2016 Independent 0.54% Independent candidate. 1832 Democratic 54.2% Winner (incumbent). 1996 Green 0.71% Third-party candidate. 2024 Libertarian 0.42% Third-party candidate. 1828 Democratic 55.33% Winner. Jackson was the first member of the Democratic party elected president. 1860 Constitutional Union 12.6% Party split. 1916 Socialist 3.19% Third-party candidate. 1836 Whig 36.6% Runner-up. 2008 Libertarian 0.40% Third-party candidate. 1828 National Republican 43.98% Runner-up (incumbent). 1996 Libertarian 0.50% Third-party candidate. 1832 National Republican 37.4% Runner-up. 2012 Green 0.36% Third-party candidate. 2004 Independent 0.38% Independent candidate. Also endorsed by the Reform Party. 2000 Reform 0.43% Third-party candidate. 1988 Libertarian 0.47% Third-party candidate. 1908 Socialist 2.83% Third-party candidate. 2020 Green 0.26% Third-party candidate. 1904 Socialist 2.98% Third-party candidate. 2004 Libertarian 0.32% Third-party candidate. 2000 Libertarian 0.36% Third-party candidate. 1880 Greenback 3.35% Third-party candidate. 1848 Free Soil 10.1% Third-party candidate (former president). 1992 Libertarian 0.28% Third-party candidate. 1892 Prohibition 2.24% Third-party candidate. 1928 Socialist 0.73% Third-party candidate. 1920 Farmer–Labor 0.99% Third-party candidate. 1904 Prohibition 1.92% Third-party candidate. 1908 Prohibition 1.71% Third-party candidate. 1888 Prohibition 2.20% Third-party candidate. 1980 Citizens 0.27% Third-party candidate. 1984 Libertarian 0.25% Third-party candidate. 1916 Prohibition 1.19% Third-party candidate. 1988 New Alliance 0.24% Third-party candidate. 1900 Prohibition 1.51% Third-party candidate. 1912 Prohibition 1.38% Third-party candidate. 2016 Constitution 0.15% Third-party candidate. 2008 Constitution 0.15% Third-party candidate. 1920 Prohibition 0.70% Third-party candidate. 1936 Socialist 0.41% Third-party candidate. 1996 Taxpayers 0.19% Third-party candidate. 1976 Libertarian 0.21% Third-party candidate. 1976 American Independent 0.21% Third-party candidate. 2024 Socialism and Liberation 0.10% Third-party candidate. 2008 Green 0.12% Third-party candidate. 1976 American 0.19% Third-party candidate. 1852 Free Soil 4.91% Third-party candidate. 1824 Democratic-Republican 40.5% Runner-up. Won the popular vote and received the most electoral votes, but lost the electoral college majority and contingent election. 1884 Prohibition 1.50% Third-party candidate. 1888 Union Labor 1.31% Third-party candidate. 1836 Whig 9.7% The Whig Party fielded two different presidential tickets in different parts of the country. 2004 Constitution 0.12% Third-party candidate. 1952 Progressive 0.23% Third-party candidate. 1812 Democratic-Republican 52.3% Winner (incumbent). A limited number of states counted the popular vote. 1948 Socialist 0.29% Third-party candidate. 1896 National Democratic 0.97% Third-party candidate. 1884 Anti-Monopoly 1.33% Third-party candidate. Also endorsed by the Greenback Party. 1812 Democratic-Republican 45.4% Runner-up. Also endorsed by much of the Federalist Party. A limited number of states counted the popular vote. 1896 Prohibition 0.94% Third-party candidate. 1808 Democratic-Republican 65.0% Winner. A limited number of states counted the popular vote. 2004 Green 0.10% Third-party candidate. 1940 Socialist 0.23% Third-party candidate. 1904 Populist 0.84% Third-party candidate. 1996 Natural Law 0.12% Third-party candidate. 1824 Democratic-Republican 32.7% Winner. Lost the popular vote and electoral college, but won the contingent election. Adams was the last member of the Democratic-Republican party elected president and the only member of the National Republican party elected president. 1956 States' Rights 0.18% Third-party candidate. 1992 Populist 0.10% Third-party candidate. 1804 Democratic-Republican 73.2% Winner (incumbent). A limited number of states counted the popular vote. 1948 Prohibition 0.21% Third-party candidate. 1932 Communist 0.26% Third-party candidate. 1832 Anti-Masonic 7.8% Third-party candidate.

Lifetime popular votes The following list indicates lifetime popular votes received across multiple elections in which the candidate was the nominee of a political party or was otherwise on a presidential ballot. It does include write-in votes that may have been received by candidates in elections in which they were not candidates. W means they were the winner, while L means they were the runner-up.