1892All 1896 Elections1900
November 5, 1896

William McKinley Wins 1896

William McKinley defeats William Jennings Bryan with 272 electoral votes, winning 23 states.

William Jennings Bryan
193 EV
270 to win
William McKinley
272 EV
193
272
270
William McKinley wins
272
Electoral Votes
51.9%
Popular Vote
23
States Carried
13,347,122
Total Votes Cast

William McKinley won the 1896 presidential election with 272 electoral votes to William Jennings Bryan's 193. William McKinley received 51.9% of the popular vote and carried 23 states. Compared to the previous election, 681 counties changed parties—349 flipped Republican and 332 flipped Democratic.

Senate results →House results →Swing analysis →

1896 National Results

Electoral College

270 needed to win
Democrat
William Jennings Bryan
193
electoral votes
Republican
William McKinley
272
electoral votes
193
272
270

Popular Vote

13,347,122 total votes
William Jennings Bryan45.8%
6,114,420 votes
William McKinley51.9%
6,925,630 votes
R+6.1% margin
(811,210 vote difference)
Source: Official state election returnsWilliam McKinley elected president

State Results

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Recent Presidential Elections

YearDemocratRepublicanElectoralPopularWinner
1896William Jennings BryanWilliam McKinley193-272R+6.1%GOP
1892Grover ClevelandBenjamin Harrison310-142D+3.1%DEM

State-by-State Results

21 Dem23 Rep

Battleground States (Margin < 5%)

Wyoming3 EV
D+3.8
Kansas6 EV
D+3.7
South Dakota3 EV
D+0.2
Kentucky8 EV
R+0.1
California54 EV
R+0.6
Oregon8 EV
R+2.1
Indiana11 EV
R+2.9
Ohio17 EV
R+4.8
StateEV1896
Mississippi6D+84.1
South Carolina9D+71.8
Colorado10D+70.7
Utah6D+65.4
Nevada6D+62.4
Montana4D+60.2
Idaho4D+56.8
Louisiana8D+54.6
Arkansas6D+48.6
Florida30D+41.5
Alabama9D+38.4
Georgia16D+21.0
Washington12D+15.1
Missouri10D+8.7
Virginia13D+6.7
Tennessee11D+6.0
North Carolina16D+5.8
Nebraska5D+5.3
Wyoming3D+3.8
Kansas6D+3.7
South Dakota3D+0.2
Kentucky8R+0.1
California54R+0.6
Oregon8R+2.1
Indiana11R+2.9
Ohio17R+4.8
West Virginia4R+5.4
Delaware3R+8.3
Michigan15R+10.3
North Dakota3R+11.9
Iowa6R+12.6
Maryland10R+12.8
Illinois19R+13.0
Minnesota10R+15.7
New York28R+18.9
Wisconsin10R+22.9
New Jersey14R+23.6
Pennsylvania19R+24.7
Connecticut7R+30.7
Maine4R+38.7
Rhode Island4R+41.9
New Hampshire4R+42.8
Massachusetts11R+43.1
Vermont3R+63.4

Counties That Changed Parties

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Flipped Republican

349 total
Chisago County, MNR+127.8%Goodhue County, MNR+91.5%Clay County, GAR+89.8%Freeborn County, MNR+85.8%Pope County, MNR+84.9%
344 more counties(Seeker)

Flipped Democratic

332 total
Conejos County, COD+149.0%Winn Parish, LAD+145.4%Grand County, COD+133.9%Owyhee County, IDD+133.7%Garfield County, COD+130.2%
327 more counties(Seeker)

1896 Elections

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Source: Official state election returns
akashicedge.com/elections/1896/president