1856  1860 Presidential Election Returns  1864

President James Buchanan had decided not to seek re-election. John Brown raided Harper's Ferry in 1859, and slavery brought the nation to the brink of war. The issue of slavery also resulted in a split in the Democratic Party. Northern Democrats chose Stephen Douglas, who wanted states and territories to decide on slavery. Southern Democrats wanted slavery to be permitted, even in states or territories that did not vote for slavery. The Southern Democrats nominated John Breckinridge. Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln, who argued for keeping slavery in current slave states, but prohibiting it in new territories. The Constitutional Union Party had been created from remnants of the Whig Party and American Parties. As its name implies, it was for keeping the Union together through the Constitution. Its main strength was in the border states between the north and the south. The split in the Democrats allowed Lincoln to sweep the North and win the election. He competed with Douglas for the populous North, keeping Douglas (the second place winner in the popular vote) from winning many Electoral Votes. The Fusion Party, on the ballot in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, allowed for multiple candidates to win electoral votes. This is how New Jersey split its electoral votes between Douglas and Lincoln. The election of Lincoln proved to be the final straw for the Southern states, which began to leave the Union, starting with South Carolina. Note: votes for the Fusion ticket shown below are not included in the percentage of vote or the electoral vote shown below, since votes for the Fusion ticket were not votes cast for particular candidates. UNITED STATES VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 1,855,993 40 180 Breckinridge/Lane 851,844 18 72 Bell/Everett 590,946 13 39 Douglas/Johnson + 1,381,944 30 12 Fusion 554,250 ** ** All Other Candidates 531 0 0 ALABAMA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 48,669 54 9 Bell/Everett 27,835 31 0 Douglas/Johnson + 13,618 15 0 ARKANSAS VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 28,732 53 4 Bell/Everett 20,063 37 0 Douglas/Johnson + 5,357 10 0 CALIFORNIA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 38,733 32 4 Douglas/Johnson + 37,999 32 0 Breckinridge/Lane 33,969 28 0 Bell/Everett 9,111 8 0 CONNECTICUT VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 43,488 58 6 Douglas/Johnson + 15,431 21 0 Breckinridge/Lane 14,372 19 0 Bell/Everett 1,528 2 0 DELAWARE VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 7,339 46 3 Lincoln/Hamlin 3,822 24 0 Bell/Everett 3,888 24 0 Douglas/Johnson + 1,066 7 0 FLORIDA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 8,277 62 3 Bell/Everett 4,801 36 0 Douglas/Johnson + 223 2 0 GEORGIA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 52,176 49 10 Bell/Everett 42,960 40 0 Douglas/Johnson + 11,581 11 0 ILLINOIS VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 172,171 51 11 Douglas/Johnson + 160,215 47 0 Bell/Everett 4,914 1 0 Breckinridge/Lane 2,331 1 0 INDIANA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 139,033 51 13 Douglas/Johnson + 115,509 42 0 Breckinridge/Lane 12,295 5 0 Bell/Everett 5,306 2 0 IOWA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 70,302 55 4 Douglas/Johnson + 55,639 43 0 Bell/Everett 1,763 1 0 Breckinridge/Lane 1,035 1 0 KENTUCKY VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Bell/Everett 66,058 45 12 Breckinridge/Lane 53,143 36 0 Douglas/Johnson + 25,651 18 0 Lincoln/Hamlin 1,364 1 0 LOUISIANA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 22,681 45 6 Bell/Everett 20,204 40 0 Douglas/Johnson + 7,625 15 0 MAINE VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 62,811 62 8 Douglas/Johnson + 29,693 29 0 Breckinridge/Lane 6,368 6 0 Bell/Everett 2,046 2 0 MARYLAND VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 42,482 46 8 Bell/Everett 41,760 45 0 Douglas/Johnson + 5,966 6 0 Lincoln/Hamlin 2,294 3 0 MASSACHUSETTS VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 106,684 63 13 Douglas/Johnson + 34,370 20 0 Bell/Everett 22,331 13 0 Breckinridge/Lane 6,163 4 0 MICHIGAN VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 88,411 57 6 Douglas/Johnson + 65,057 42 0 Breckinridge/Lane 805 1 0 Bell/Everett 415 0 0 MINNESOTA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 22,069 63 4 Douglas/Johnson + 11,920 34 0 Breckinridge/Lane 748 2 0 Bell/Everett 50 0 0 MISSISSIPPI VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 40,768 59 7 Bell/Everett 25,045 36 0 Douglas/Johnson + 3,282 5 0 MISSOURI VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Douglas/Johnson + 58,801 36 9 Bell/Everett 58,372 35 0 Breckinridge/Lane 31,362 19 0 Lincoln/Hamlin 17,028 10 0 NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 37,519 57 5 Douglas/Johnson + 25,887 39 0 Breckinridge/Lane 2,125 3 0 Bell/Everett 412 1 0 NEW JERSEY VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Fusion 62,869 52 0 Lincoln/Hamlin 58,846 48 4 Douglas/Johnson + No Popular Vote -- 3 NEW YORK VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 362,646 54 35 Fusion 312,510 46 0 NORTH CAROLINA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 48,846 51 10 Bell/Everett 45,129 47 0 Douglas/Johnson + 2,737 3 0 OHIO VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 231,709 52 23 Douglas/Johnson + 187,421 42 0 Bell/Everett 12,194 3 0 Breckinridge/Lane 11,406 3 0 OREGON VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 5,329 36 3 Breckinridge/Lane 5,075 34 0 Douglas/Johnson + 4,136 28 0 Bell/Everett 218 2 0 PENNSYLVANIA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 268,030 56 27 Fusion 178,871 38 0 Douglas/Johnson + 16,765 4 0 Bell/Everett 12,776 3 0 RHODE ISLAND VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 12,244 61 4 Douglas/Johnson + 7,707 39 0 SOUTH CAROLINA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane No Popular Vote -- 8 TENNESSEE VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Bell/Everett 69,728 48 12 Breckinridge/Lane 65,097 45 0 Douglas/Johnson + 11,281 8 0 TEXAS VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Breckinridge/Lane 47,454 76 4 Bell/Everett 15,383 24 0 Douglas/Johnson + 18 0 0 VERMONT VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 33,808 76 5 Douglas/Johnson + 8,649 19 0 Bell/Everett 1,969 4 0 Breckinridge/Lane 218 1 0 VIRGINIA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Bell/Everett 74,481 45 15 Breckinridge/Lane 74,325 45 0 Douglas/Johnson + 16,198 10 0 Lincoln/Hamlin 1,887 1 0 WISCONSIN VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE Lincoln/Hamlin 86,110 57 5 Douglas/Johnson + 65,021 43 0 Breckinridge/Lane 887 1 0 Bell/Everett 161 0 0 SYMBOLS KEY Republican Democrat Constitutional Union Fusion Other Southern Democrat Winner * Incumbent + Incumbent Party