Abraham Lincoln won 212 electoral votes in the 1864 presidential election. Running on the National Union ticket with Andrew Johnson, he defeated Democratic nominee George B. McClellan, who received 21 electoral votes.
The election took place on November 8, 1864, while the Civil War was still being fought. Lincoln’s victory was politically significant because many observers had expected war weariness and Union military setbacks to threaten his re-election. Instead, battlefield successes and strong support from Union soldiers helped strengthen his position.
The electoral tally requires a little historical care. Congress counted 212 votes for Lincoln after rejecting 17 electoral votes from Louisiana and Tennessee, states under Union military control whose electoral legitimacy was disputed. One Nevada elector was also unable to cast a ballot, so 233 electoral votes were actually cast.
Lincoln won about 55 percent of the popular vote and carried 22 states. McClellan won only Kentucky, Delaware, and New Jersey. Lincoln’s second inauguration took place on March 4, 1865, just over a month before his assassination.