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1896 presidential election map and results
William McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan 271–176. California and Kentucky split their electoral votes. A majority was 224 of 447 electoral votes.
Explore the 1896 map interactively →
Candidates
| Candidate | Party | Electoral votes | Popular vote | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William McKinley ✓ | Republican | 271 | 7,105,076 | 51.1% |
| William Jennings Bryan | Democratic/Populist | 176 | 6,370,897 | 45.8% |
Popular-vote totals add up the states with recorded votes; some states chose electors through their legislatures in this era.
Results by state
| State | Won by | Electoral votes | Winner % | Margin (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | William Jennings Bryan | 11 | 67.0% | 38.4 |
| Arkansas | William Jennings Bryan | 8 | 73.7% | 48.6 |
| California | William McKinley | McKinley 8, Bryan 1 | 49.0% | 7.9 |
| Colorado | William Jennings Bryan | 4 | 84.9% | 71.1 |
| Connecticut | William McKinley | 6 | 63.2% | 30.7 |
| Delaware | William McKinley | 3 | 53.5% | 11.0 |
| Florida | William Jennings Bryan | 4 | 66.0% | 41.7 |
| Georgia | William Jennings Bryan | 13 | 58.0% | 21.2 |
| Idaho | William Jennings Bryan | 3 | 78.1% | 56.7 |
| Illinois | William McKinley | 24 | 55.7% | 13.0 |
| Indiana | William McKinley | 15 | 50.8% | 2.9 |
| Iowa | William McKinley | 13 | 55.5% | 12.6 |
| Kansas | William Jennings Bryan | 10 | 51.5% | 4.0 |
| Kentucky | William McKinley | McKinley 12, Bryan 1 | 48.9% | 0.1 |
| Louisiana | William Jennings Bryan | 8 | 76.4% | 54.6 |
| Maine | William McKinley | 6 | 67.9% | 38.7 |
| Maryland | William McKinley | 8 | 54.7% | 13.1 |
| Massachusetts | William McKinley | 15 | 69.5% | 43.3 |
| Michigan | William McKinley | 14 | 53.8% | 10.3 |
| Minnesota | William McKinley | 9 | 56.6% | 15.7 |
| Mississippi | William Jennings Bryan | 9 | 91.0% | 84.1 |
| Missouri | William Jennings Bryan | 17 | 54.0% | 8.7 |
| Montana | William Jennings Bryan | 3 | 79.9% | 60.2 |
| Nebraska | William Jennings Bryan | 8 | 51.5% | 5.4 |
| Nevada | William Jennings Bryan | 3 | 75.6% | 56.9 |
| New Hampshire | William McKinley | 4 | 68.7% | 43.2 |
| New Jersey | William McKinley | 10 | 59.7% | 23.6 |
| New York | William McKinley | 36 | 57.6% | 18.9 |
| North Carolina | William Jennings Bryan | 11 | 52.6% | 5.8 |
| North Dakota | William McKinley | 3 | 55.6% | 11.9 |
| Ohio | William McKinley | 23 | 51.9% | 5.0 |
| Oregon | William McKinley | 4 | 50.0% | 2.0 |
| Pennsylvania | William McKinley | 32 | 61.0% | 25.2 |
| Rhode Island | William McKinley | 4 | 68.3% | 41.9 |
| South Carolina | William Jennings Bryan | 9 | 85.3% | 71.8 |
| South Dakota | William Jennings Bryan | 4 | 49.7% | 0.2 |
| Tennessee | William Jennings Bryan | 12 | 52.1% | 5.8 |
| Texas | William Jennings Bryan | 15 | 51.9% | 20.2 |
| Utah | William Jennings Bryan | 3 | 82.7% | 65.5 |
| Vermont | William McKinley | 4 | 80.1% | 64.2 |
| Virginia | William Jennings Bryan | 12 | 52.5% | 6.6 |
| Washington | William Jennings Bryan | 4 | 55.2% | 13.3 |
| West Virginia | William McKinley | 6 | 52.2% | 5.4 |
| Wisconsin | William McKinley | 12 | 59.9% | 22.9 |
| Wyoming | William Jennings Bryan | 3 | 49.2% | 1.4 |
Notes
- District of Columbia: The District of Columbia did not receive presidential electors until the 23rd Amendment.