The American Vote
2024 result
Candidate

Jimmy Carter

Democratic

Elections
2
Won
1
Electoral votes, all elections
346
Years
1976–1980

Record

Jimmy Carter: result of each presidential election
YearElectoral votesPopular voteResult
1976
297
of 538
40,825,839
50.0%
Won
1980
49
of 538
35,480,948
41.0%
Lost

Popular vote is the sum of the sourced state counts, shown only where every state that held a popular vote has one; sums from county returns (1868–1972) can run a few tenths of a point below national totals published elsewhere.

Electoral votesNational Archives, Electoral College results: 1976, 1980 (public domain, read 2026-10-03). How these figures were compiled

SourceMIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976–2024 (CC0 1.0, retrieved 2026-10-03). How these figures were compiled

Election by election

1976Democratic · Won

States carried · 24 of 51
Closest states won
  1. Ohioby 9,333 · 0.2 pts
  2. Wisconsinby 35,245 · 1.7 pts
  3. Mississippiby 14,483 · 1.9 pts
Closest states lost
  1. OregonFord by 1,713 · 0.2 pts
  2. MaineFord by 4,041 · 0.8 pts
  3. IowaFord by 12,933 · 1.0 pts

Margins computed for 51 of 51 states: those with a sourced popular vote that names Carter.

SourceMIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976–2024 (CC0 1.0, retrieved 2026-10-03). How these figures were compiled

From the National Archives

A Washington (State) elector voted for Ronald Reagan.

National Archives, Electoral College results for 1976, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.

1980Democratic · Lost

States carried · 7 of 51
Closest states won
  1. Hawaiiby 5,767 · 1.9 pts
  2. Marylandby 45,555 · 3.0 pts
  3. Minnesotaby 80,905 · 3.9 pts
Closest states lost
  1. MassachusettsReagan by 3,829 · 0.2 pts
  2. TennesseeReagan by 4,710 · 0.3 pts
  3. ArkansasReagan by 5,123 · 0.6 pts

Margins computed for 51 of 51 states: those with a sourced popular vote that names Carter.

SourceMIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976–2024 (CC0 1.0, retrieved 2026-10-03). How these figures were compiled

From the National Archives

Independent candidate John B. Anderson received 5,719,437 popular votes for President, but no electoral votes.

National Archives, Electoral College results for 1980, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.

Stories from these elections

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