TUESDAY TRIVIA: Which President Was Lost Both the Popular and Electoral Vote?

The U.S. president and vice president aren’t elected by direct popular vote. Instead, Article II, section I of the Constitution provides for the indirect election of the nation’s highest offices by a group of state-appointed “electors.”

Which president lost both the popular and electoral vote?

In 1824, there were four contenders for the presidency: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William Crawford and Henry Clay.

When the votes were tallied, Jackson won a plurality of both the popular vote and the Electoral College. But to win the presidency, you need more than a plurality (the most electoral votes), you need a majority (more than half), and Jackson was 32 electoral votes shy of the mark.

In cases where no presidential candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, the vote goes to the House of Representatives. The House voted to make Adams president.

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