1860 Presidential Election

November 6, 1860 · Civil War & Reconstruction · 303 electoral votes, 152 to win

Lincoln won every free state and the presidency with 39.8% of the vote against a three-way opposition, and appeared on no ballot in ten Southern states. Secession began within six weeks of the result.

Elected

Abraham Lincoln

Republican

Electoral vote

180 of 303

Popular vote

39.8%

1,865,908 votes

Turnout

81.8%

The result

Sort by

Abraham Lincoln

Republican · 39.80% of votes

180

electoral votes

John C. Breckinridge

Southern Democratic · 18.10% of votes

electoral votes

John Bell

Constitutional Union · 12.60% of votes

electoral votes

Stephen A. Douglas

Democratic · 29.50% of votes

electoral votes


Abraham Lincoln	Republican	Hannibal Hamlin	180	1,865,908	39.80%	18
John C. Breckinridge	Southern Democratic	Joseph Lane	72	848,019	18.10%	11
John Bell	Constitutional Union	Edward Everett	39	590,901	12.60%	3
Stephen A. Douglas	Democratic	Herschel V. Johnson	12	1,380,202	29.50%	1

4,685,030 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

Sort by

Alabama

John C. Breckinridge · 54.0% · runner-up John Bell 30.9%

electoral votes

Arkansas

John C. Breckinridge · 53.1% · runner-up John Bell 37.1%

electoral votes

California

Abraham Lincoln · 32.3% · runner-up Stephen A. Douglas 31.7%

electoral votes

Connecticut

Abraham Lincoln · 58.1% · runner-up Stephen A. Douglas 20.6%

electoral votes

Delaware

John C. Breckinridge · 45.5% · runner-up John Bell 24.1%

electoral votes

Florida

John C. Breckinridge · 62.2% · runner-up John Bell 36.1%

electoral votes

Georgia

John C. Breckinridge · 48.9% · runner-up John Bell 40.3%

electoral votes

Illinois

Abraham Lincoln · 50.7% · runner-up Stephen A. Douglas 47.2%

electoral votes

Indiana

Abraham Lincoln · 51.1% · runner-up Stephen A. Douglas 42.4%

electoral votes

Iowa

Abraham Lincoln · 54.6% · runner-up Stephen A. Douglas 43.2%

electoral votes

Kentucky

John Bell · 45.2% · runner-up John C. Breckinridge 36.3%

electoral votes

Louisiana

John C. Breckinridge · 44.9% · runner-up John Bell 40.0%

electoral votes


Alabama	John C. Breckinridge	54.0%	9	John Bell · 30.9%
Arkansas	John C. Breckinridge	53.1%	4	John Bell · 37.1%
California	Abraham Lincoln	32.3%	4	Stephen A. Douglas · 31.7%
Connecticut	Abraham Lincoln	58.1%	6	Stephen A. Douglas · 20.6%
Delaware	John C. Breckinridge	45.5%	3	John Bell · 24.1%
Florida	John C. Breckinridge	62.2%	3	John Bell · 36.1%
Georgia	John C. Breckinridge	48.9%	10	John Bell · 40.3%
Illinois	Abraham Lincoln	50.7%	11	Stephen A. Douglas · 47.2%
Indiana	Abraham Lincoln	51.1%	13	Stephen A. Douglas · 42.4%
Iowa	Abraham Lincoln	54.6%	4	Stephen A. Douglas · 43.2%
Kentucky	John Bell	45.2%	12	John C. Breckinridge · 36.3%
Louisiana	John C. Breckinridge	44.9%	6	John Bell · 40.0%
Maine	Abraham Lincoln	62.2%	8	Stephen A. Douglas · 29.4%
Maryland	John C. Breckinridge	45.9%	8	John Bell · 45.1%
Massachusetts	Abraham Lincoln	62.8%	13	Stephen A. Douglas · 20.2%
Michigan	Abraham Lincoln	57.2%	6	Stephen A. Douglas · 42.0%
Minnesota	Abraham Lincoln	63.4%	4	Stephen A. Douglas · 34.3%
Mississippi	John C. Breckinridge	59.0%	7	John Bell · 36.4%
Missouri	Stephen A. Douglas	35.5%	9	John Bell · 35.3%
New Hampshire	Abraham Lincoln	56.9%	5	Stephen A. Douglas · 39.3%
New Jersey	Abraham Lincoln	48.1%	3 Douglas · 4 Lincoln	Stephen A. Douglas · 51.9%
New York	Abraham Lincoln	53.7%	35	Stephen A. Douglas · 46.3%
North Carolina	John C. Breckinridge	50.5%	10	John Bell · 46.7%
Ohio	Abraham Lincoln	52.3%	23	Stephen A. Douglas · 42.3%
Oregon	Abraham Lincoln	36.1%	3	John C. Breckinridge · 34.4%
Pennsylvania	Abraham Lincoln	56.3%	27	John C. Breckinridge · 37.5%
Rhode Island	Abraham Lincoln	61.4%	4	Stephen A. Douglas · 38.6%
South Carolina	John C. Breckinridge	—	8	—
Tennessee	John Bell	47.7%	12	John C. Breckinridge · 44.6%
Texas	John C. Breckinridge	75.5%	4	John Bell · 24.5%
Vermont	Abraham Lincoln	75.7%	5	Stephen A. Douglas · 19.4%
Virginia	John Bell	44.6%	15	John C. Breckinridge · 44.5%
Wisconsin	Abraham Lincoln	56.6%	5	Stephen A. Douglas · 42.7%

The Congress it seated

37th Congress

1861–1863

Unified government

Senate

11–31 +7

Republican control · Democratic–Republican +7 independents

House

42–106 +28

Republican control · Democratic–Republican +28 independents