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



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	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	May 9th 2008 Popular Vote KERA Public Radio Radio commentary in favor of a national popular vote. May 6th 2008 A better way to elect a president Boston Globe Boston Globe columnist, Scot Lehigh, explains the functioning and the virtues of the National Popular Vote plan over the current Electoral College system. April 30th 2008 Majority Rule at Last Washington Monthly The Brennan Center's Michael Waldman lays out the case for the National Popular Vote Plan for electing the president. April 30th 2008 National vote plan would help New York NewsDay Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine explains why the National Popular Vote Plan is good for the state of New York. April 21st 2008 Make Electoral College reflect overall popular vote Nashville Tennessean Nashville Tennessean editorial board endorses National Popular Vote plan, citing lack of attention paid to most states and the possibility for popular vote losers to win the presidency. [ Previous ] [ Next ]