Close votes in American history

November 10, 2000
http://www.azstarnet.com/vote2000/#10

Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, 1800

Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr were tied with 73 electoral votes each. They had been selected as running mates for the Republicans, with John Adams and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney running on the Federalist ticket. Adams and Pinckney received 65 and 64 votes, respectively, with John Jay receiving one vote. The election went to the House of Representatives.

Each state had one vote. There were 16 states at the time, and a majority of the states was needed to win. It took 36 ballots before Jefferson received a majority and was elected president on Feb. 17, 1801. Burr became vice president, according to the Constitution at the time.

John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, 1824

The dominant contenders for the presidency were Adams, Jefferson, Henry Clay and William H. Crawford.

None received a majority of electoral votes, so the top three contenders, Jackson, Adams and Crawford, went to the House of Representatives for election.

It was widely believed that Clay supported Adams in return for being made secretary of state, but Adams won in any case with votes from 13 of the 24 states represented.

Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden, 1876

Tilden led the popular vote, but the morning after the election it appeared Hayes had 185 electoral votes to Tilden's 184.

If just one of Hayes' electors changed his vote, the outcome would change.

On Jan. 29, 1877, a 15-member Electoral Commission was established by law just for the 1876 electoral vote count. It ruled in favor of Hayes, was upheld by the Senate and rejected by the House.

Finally, an agreement was reached. Hayes made certain concessions, and he was declared president on March 2, 1877.

Grover Cleveland
and Benjamin Harrison, 1888

Harrison lost the popular election to Cleveland by more than 90,000 votes, but he became president by winning in the Electoral College.

John Quincy Adams

 

Grover Cleveland

Rutherford Hayes

Thomas Jefferson

Compiled by Jayne Tucker