Presidential Candidate | Electoral Vote | Popular Vote | Pct | Party | Running Mate (Electoral Votes) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jimmy Carter of Georgia (W) | 297 | 40,825,839 | 50.0% | Democrat | Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota (297) |
Gerald R. Ford of Michigan | 240 | 39,147,770 | 48.0% | Republican | Bob Dole of Kansas (241) | Other | 1 | 1,577,333 | 2.0% |
Total | 538 | 81,555,889 | 100.0% | ||
Other elections: 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988 | |||||
Source: U.S. Office of the Federal Register |
Jimmy Carter ran as an honest outsider reformer, which many voters found attractive in the wake of the Watergate scandal. President Ford, although personally unconnected with Watergate, was seen by many as too close to the discredited Richard Nixon administration, especially after Ford granted Nixon a presidential pardon.
Independent Eugene J. McCarthy received 756,691 popular votes.
Libertarian Party candidate Roger MacBride received 173,011 votes.
Segregationist Lester Maddox of the American Independent Party received 170,531 votes.
Thomas J. Anderson of the American Party received 160,773 votes.
A rogue Republican elector from Washington State gave Ronald Reagan one electoral vote.
The election was held on November 2, 1976.
See also: President of the United States, U.S. presidential election, 1976, History of the United States (1964-1980)