1812 Presidential Election
October 30 – December 2, 1812 · The Founding Era · 217 electoral votes, 109 to win
The first wartime presidential election: Madison held off DeWitt Clinton, backed by an unusual fusion of Federalists and dissident Republicans, in the closest contest between 1800 and 1824.
Elected
James Madison
Democratic-Republican
Electoral vote
128 of 217
Popular vote
50.4%
140,431 votes
Turnout
40.4%
The result
| EV share | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison | Democratic-Republican | Elbridge Gerry | 128 | 140,431 | 50.40% | 11 | |
| DeWitt Clinton | Democratic-Republican | Jared Ingersoll and Elbridge Gerry | 89 | 132,781 | 47.60% | 7 | |
| Rufus King | Federalist | — | — | 5,574 | 2.00% | — |
Before 1824 most electors were chosen by state legislatures, so popular-vote figures cover only a handful of states.
Results by state
| Connecticut | DeWitt Clinton | — | 9 | — |
| Delaware | DeWitt Clinton | — | 4 | — |
| Georgia | James Madison | — | 8 | — |
| Kentucky | James Madison | — | 12 | — |
| Louisiana | James Madison | — | 3 | — |
| Maryland | James Madison | — | 5 Clinton · 6 Madison | — |
| Massachusetts | DeWitt Clinton | — | 22 | — |
| New Hampshire | DeWitt Clinton | — | 8 | — |
| New Jersey | DeWitt Clinton | — | 8 | — |
| New York | DeWitt Clinton | — | 29 | — |
| North Carolina | James Madison | — | 15 | — |
| Ohio | James Madison | — | 7 | — |
| Pennsylvania | James Madison | — | 25 | — |
| Rhode Island | DeWitt Clinton | — | 4 | — |
| South Carolina | James Madison | — | 11 | — |
| Tennessee | James Madison | — | 8 | — |
| Vermont | James Madison | — | 8 | — |
| Virginia | James Madison | — | 25 | — |
States marked without popular votes chose their electors in the legislature.
The Congress it seated
13th Congress
1813–1815
Unified government
Senate
28–8
Anti-Administration vs Pro-Administration
House
114–68
Anti-Administration vs Pro-Administration