FairVote - Third Parties Earn Votes

Third Party Elections

Election Years in which a third party candidate walked away with any amount of Electoral votes

1912
1924
1948
1960
1968
1956, 1972, 1976, 1988

1912

Candidate: Teddy Roosevelt

Party: Progressive

Popular Vote: 4,119,207 (27.4%)

Electoral Votes: 88

States: Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Washington, Pennsylvania, California (split)

*Roosevelt actually beat Democratic candidate William Howard Taft in the Electoral College;
Taft received only 8 votes

1924

Candidate: Robert Marion LaFollette

Party: Progressive

Popular Vote: 4,822,856 (16.6%)

Electoral Votes: 13

States: Wisconsin

1948

Candidate: Strom Thurmond

Party: Dixiecrat

Popular Vote: 1,176,125 (2.4%)

Electoral Votes: 39

States: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee (split)

1960

Candidate: Harry Flood Byrd

Byrd

Party: Democrat

Popular Vote: 116,248 (0.2%)

Electoral Votes: 15

States: Mississippi, Alabama (split), Oklahoma (split)

1968

Candidate: George Corley Wallace

Wallace

Party: American Independent

Popular Vote: 9,446,167 (12.9%)

Electoral Votes: 46

States: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina (split)

1956, 1972, 1976, 1988

*In each of these elections, a candidate got a single (1) electoral vote:

Walter Burgwyn Jones in 1956

John Hospers in 1972

Ronald Reagan in 1976

Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. in 1988



Home. > Presidential Elections Reform > Resources > Electoral College > How the Electoral College works today > Concerns with the Electoral College > Controversial Elections > Third Parties Earn Votes
	Third Party Elections Election Years in which a third party candidate walked away with any amount of Electoral votes 1912 1924 1948 1960 1968 1956, 1972, 1976, 1988 1912 Candidate: Teddy Roosevelt Party: Progressive Popular Vote: 4,119,207 (27.4%) Electoral Votes: 88 States: Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Washington, Pennsylvania, California (split) Roosevelt actually beat Democratic candidate William Howard Taft in the Electoral College; Taft received only 8 votes Back to Top 1924 Candidate: Robert Marion LaFollette Party: Progressive Popular Vote: 4,822,856 (16.6%) Electoral Votes: 13 States: Wisconsin Back to Top 1948 Candidate: Strom Thurmond Party: Dixiecrat Popular Vote: 1,176,125 (2.4%) Electoral Votes: 39 States: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee (split) Back to Top 1960 Candidate: Harry Flood Byrd Party: Democrat Popular Vote: 116,248 (0.2%) Electoral Votes: 15 States: Mississippi, Alabama (split), Oklahoma (split) Back to Top 1968 Candidate: George Corley Wallace Party: American Independent Popular Vote: 9,446,167 (12.9%) Electoral Votes: 46 States: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina (split) Back to Top 1956, 1972, 1976, 1988 In each of these elections, a candidate got a single (1) electoral vote: Walter Burgwyn Jones in 1956 John Hospers in 1972 Ronald Reagan in 1976 Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. in 1988 Back to Top Controversial Elections Electoral College Table of Contents	November 5th 2008 Time to get rid of the Electoral College Miami Herald endorses direct election of the President and the National Popular Vote plan. November 5th 2008 Every Vote Should Count, From Sea to Shining Sea New York Times Letter to the Editor from FairVote's Rob Richie calling for a National Popular Vote for President to make sure that everyone's vote is counted equally. November 2nd 2008 Ohio is still the political heartland Dayton Daily News Dayton Daily News cites FairVote's 2008 Campaign Tracker, which shows Ohio to be in the campaign spotlight. November 2nd 2008 Our Skewed Electioneering Could Be Fixed Citing FairVote executive director Rob Richie, syndicated columnist Neal Peirce advocates for the National Popular Vote plan. October 28th 2008 When winner takes all, we lose: Fix electoral college now New York Daily News Bill Hammond calls for a National Popular Vote to make New York voters matter in the Presidential Election. [ Previous ] [ Next ]