1856 U.S. Presidential Election

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1856 U.S. Presidential Election — General

Nationwide · 3 tickets

Popular vote Electoral vote

James BuchananDemocraticWINNER45.3%

1,838,169 votes · 174 electoral

Running mate: John C. Breckinridge

John C. FremontRepublican33.1%

1,341,264 votes · 114 electoral

Running mate: William L. Dayton

Millard FillmoreAmerican (Know Nothing)21.5%

873,053 votes · 8 electoral

Running mate: Andrew Jackson Donelson

Popular-vote counts follow Dave Leip’s Atlas (pre-1976) and official certified totals (1976–2024), cross-checked against MIT Election Lab. The 1824 count is partial — six states chose electors by their legislatures.