George Washington received 69 electoral votes in the first United States presidential election.
The election took place from December 15, 1788, to January 7, 1789, under the new Constitution. Each participating elector cast two votes, but every one of the 69 electors who voted gave one vote to Washington. His unanimous result made him the first president, while John Adams received 34 votes and became vice president.
The election was not conducted with a modern nationwide popular vote. Electors were selected by states, and the first Electoral College operated under rules that differed from today’s system. North Carolina and Rhode Island had not yet ratified the Constitution, and New York failed to appoint its electors in time.
The result is often called unanimous, but that description refers to the participating electors’ votes for Washington. It does not mean every eligible elector nationwide voted, because several states did not participate and some appointed electors did not cast ballots.