Presidents Elected Without Winning the Popular Vote

Five U.S. presidents have taken office without winning the popular vote. In other words, they did not receive a plurality regarding the popular vote. They were elected, instead, by the Electoral College—or in the case of John Quincy Adams, by the House of Representatives after a tie in the electoral votes. They were:

• Donald J. Trump, who lost by 2.9 million votes to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
• George W. Bush, who lost by 543,816 votes to Al Gore in the 2000 election.
• Benjamin Harrison, who lost by 95,713 votes to Grover Cleveland in 1888.
• Rutherford B. Hayes, who lost by 264,292 votes to Samuel J. Tilden in 1876.
• John Quincy Adams, who lost by 44,804 votes to Andrew Jackson in 1824.

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