A presidential election was held in Virginia between November 4 to December 7, 1796, as part of the 1796 United States presidential election. Voters chose 21 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.
Virginia voted for the Democratic-Republican candidate and Virginia native, Thomas Jefferson, over the Federalist candidate, John Adams. Jefferson won Virginia by a margin of 36.72%. Virginia chose electors by popular vote per electoral district and as such granted 1 electoral vote to John Adams.
Prior to the 12th Amendment, electors cast two votes, making no distinction if they were voting for Vice President or President, as such: Thomas Pinckney received 1 electoral vote, Aaron Burr received 1 electoral vote, Samuel Adams received 15 electoral votes, George Clinton received 3 electoral votes and George Washington received 1 electoral vote. It was well-known in 1796 that Jefferson and Adams were intended to be elected as president and Burr and Pinckney for vice president.
Results 1796 United States presidential election in VirginiaPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votesDemocratic-RepublicanThomas Jefferson3,72168.36%20FederalistJohn Adams1,72231.64%1Totals5,443100.0%21
Results by county +1796 United States presidential election in VirginiaCountyJohn AdamsFederalistThomas JeffersonDemocratic-RepublicanMarginTotalvotes#%#%#% Accomack-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Albemarle-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Amelia-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Amherst-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Augusta-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Bath00.00%120100.00%-120-100.00%120 Bedford-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Berkeley8819.78%35780.22%-269-60.44%445 Botetourt-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Brooke-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Brunswick13229.07%32270.93%-190-41.86%454 Buckingham00.00%145100.00%-145-100.00%145 Campbell-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Caroline-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Charles City12778.40%3521.60%9256.80%162 Charlotte-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Chesterfield-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Culpeper-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Cumberland00.00%195100.00%-195-100.00%195 Dinwiddie61.86%31798.14%-311-96.28%323 Elizabeth City5391.38%58.62%4882.76%58 Essex229.21%21790.79%-195-81.58%239 Fairfax18551.97%17148.03%143.94%356 Fauquier17555.21%14244.79%3310.42%317 Fluvanna-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Franklin-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Frederick13772.87%5127.13%8645.74%188 Gloucester-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Goochland-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Grayson-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Greenbrier-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Greensville-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Halifax-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Hampshire-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Hanover-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Hardy-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Harrison-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Henrico16051.61%15048.39%103.22%310 Henry-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Isle of Wight-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- James City1718.09%7781.91%-60-63.82%94 Kanawha-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- King and Queen-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- King George-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- King William-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Lancaster-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Lee-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Loudoun13823.47%45076.53%-312-53.06%588 Louisa-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Lunenburg00.00%71100.00%-71-100.00%71 Madison-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Mathews-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Mecklenburg36687.14%5412.86%31274.28%420 Middlesex-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Monongalia-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Montgomery-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Nansemond-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- New Kent8057.14%6042.86%2014.28%140 Norfolk-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Northampton-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Northumberland-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Nottoway-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Ohio-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Orange00.00%90100.00%-90-100.00%90 Patrick-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Pendleton-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Pittsylvania-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Powhatan12882.06%2817.94%10064.12%156 Prince Edward00.00%117100.00%-117-100.00%117 Prince George-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Prince William10.46%21799.54%-216-99.08%218 Princess Anne-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Randolph-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Richmond-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Rockbridge00.00%65100.00%-65-100.00%65 Rockingham-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Russell-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Shenandoah-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Southampton-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Spotsylvania-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Stafford52.66%18397.34%-178-94.68%188 Surry-0.00%-0.00%-0.00%- Sussex00.00%118100.00%-118-100.00%118 Warwick00.00%56100.00%-56-100.00%56 Washington-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Westmoreland-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- Williamsburg3364.71%1835.29%1529.42%51 Wythe-0.00%-100.00%--100.00%- York2426.67%6673.33%-42-46.66%90Total1,87732.51%3,89767.49%-2,020-34.98%5,774
See also United States presidential elections in Virginia
References