Minority rules

[divad]

Has an American president ever been elected by a majority of voting-age citizens?

 

[rab]

I believe that a majority of them have.

 

[SDAnderson]

With voter turnout in presidential elections normally hovering near 50% of the eligible population, the literal answer to your question would have to be no. If only 50% of the people vote and that vote is split between two or more candidates, no one candidate can possibly garner a "majority of voting age citizens."

Winning the presidency doesn't require a majority of voting age citizens vote for you. It doesn't even require that the majority of those voting vote for you - a plurality of votes cast is normally enough. In some few circumstances, due to complexities (or vagaries) in the electoral college process, candidates who have secured the popular vote (either through a majority or plurality) may not be elected president.

I suspect that this last situation is the point that you are interested in, inasmuch as the 2000 elections were one of the few situations where the candidate who received the greatest number of votes did not win the presidency. In 2000, Al Gore received a plurality (not a majority) of the popular vote but George Bush won the electoral college vote. The actual numbers worked out like this: Al Gore received 48.38% of the popular vote and 266 votes in the electoral college; George Bush received 47.87% of the popular vote and 271 votes in the electoral college; Ralph Nader received 2.74% of the popular vote and 0 votes in the electoral college. Somewhat similar situations occured in 1876 (Rutherford Hayes -v- Samuel Tilden) and 1888 (Benjamin Harrison -v- Grover Cleveland).

A list of 15 Presidents elected without a majority of the popular vote Happy reading.

 

[Maya]

Thanks reefraff, for the answer and for the link. Interesting reading.

 

[Walter]

Actually, Tilden was the candidate with the most electoral votes in 1876. Illegal duplicate electoral votes were also submitted for Hayes from 2 or 3 (foggy memory) southern states (yes, Florida was one of them). A commission was formed to decide which votes should be counted (it would have been simple enough to check with the electors). A majority of commissioners were Republican. The commission voted a strict party line and gave the election, illegally, to Hayes.

 

[emn057]

Actually, Tilden was the candidate with the most electoral votes in 1876. Illegal duplicate electoral votes were also submitted for Hayes from 2 or 3 (foggy memory) southern states (yes, Florida was one of them). A commission was formed to decide which votes should be counted (it would have been simple enough to check with the electors). A majority of commissioners were Republican. The commission voted a strict party line and gave the election, illegally, to Hayes.

You REMEMBER that?! How old ARE you?

lol j/k.

That's what I actually thought you meant until I thought about it and realized how long ago that was. I kind of skipped over the part that said 1876.




emn

 

[Walter]

Very, very old.

 

[baltimoron]

majority of commissioners were Republican. The commission voted a strict party line and gave the election, illegally, to Hayes.

actually, its was an even split- i think 8 Democrats and 8 republicans, and then one resigned... and another Republican came on the bandwagon. that's how Hayes got elected...

17 years, and almost 8 months.

 

[SDAnderson]

Hey - what's the connection between us scuba divers and Rutherford Hayes? Big news a couple of years ago, it's still significant, especially if you're from Florida. The answer is HERE, but a devilish hint would be "homestead."

 

[Walter]

actually, its was an even split

Only if you didn't count the chairman who broke the tie.