In 1860, Abraham Lincoln (Republican) won 180 of 303 electoral votes, defeating John C. Breckinridge by 108 EV during the Civil War era. In 2020, Joe Biden (Democratic) won 306 of 538, defeating Donald Trump by 74 EV during the Modern Polarization era. Turnout: 81.8% vs 66.6%.
vs
1860
Civil War
Abraham Lincoln
Republican
Electoral votes
180 of 303
EV margin
108
Popular vote
39.6%
Turnout
81.8%
Runner-up
John C. Breckinridge (S-Dem)
Lincoln won as the nation fractured along sectional lines. The Democratic Party split into Northern and Southern factions, with Stephen Douglas running for the North and John C. Breckinridge for the South, while the Constitutional Union party drew border-state voters behind John Bell. Lincoln carried every Northern state but received zero votes in most Southern states; his victory triggered Southern secession within months. Lincoln won a majority of electoral votes with only 39.65% of the popular vote.
2020
Modern Polarization
Joe Biden
Democratic
Electoral votes
306 of 538
EV margin
74
Popular vote
51.3%
Turnout
66.6%
Runner-up
Donald Trump (Rep)
Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump in a high-turnout election dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had killed over 230,000 Americans before Election Day. Biden won 81.3 million votes — the most ever recorded — while Trump won 74.2 million, also a record for a losing candidate. Trump refused to concede, claiming widespread fraud, and his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Biden carried Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan — all states Trump had won in 2016.