United States Elections Quiz 1 (Questions only)

1. In the presidential election of 1800, two candidates from the same party tied in the Electoral College and the House needed 36 ballots to choose the winner. Name the two candidates, and the constitutional amendment passed to stop it happening again.

2. In 1824, the House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams as president even though Andrew Jackson had won more electoral and popular votes. Jackson's supporters called it a "corrupt bargain". Who was the third candidate who backed Adams and was then made Secretary of State?

3. A Kentucky war hero, whose supporters claimed he had personally killed the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, is the only US vice president ever chosen by the Senate. Name him, and the state whose electors refused to vote for him.

4. In 1820, James Monroe would have matched George Washington by winning every electoral vote, but one New Hampshire elector voted for someone else. For whom?

5. The 1840 campaign of William Henry Harrison was famous for log cabins, hard cider and a catchy rhyming slogan. What was the slogan?

6. An 1845 federal law set a single national Election Day in early November. Why was a Tuesday chosen rather than a Monday?

7. In 1872, who became the first woman to run for President of the United States, and which famous abolitionist was named as her running mate (without his agreement)?

8. Also in 1872, the main challenger to Ulysses S. Grant died after election day but before the Electoral College met, so his electors scattered their votes. Who was he, and which major newspaper had he founded?

9. Before 2000, which two 19th-century presidents won the White House while losing the popular vote, in elections where one candidate had an outright majority in the Electoral College?

10. Only two presidents have served two non-consecutive terms. Name both, and give the presidential numbers each one holds.

11. In 1912, a former president running for the new "Bull Moose" Progressive Party came second, ahead of the sitting president. Name both men, and the only two states the sitting president won.

12. In 1936, a famous magazine poll confidently predicted that Alf Landon would defeat Franklin D. Roosevelt. Which magazine ran the poll, and which two states did Landon actually win?

13. Which Chicago newspaper printed the famous wrong headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" after the 1948 election?

14. Who was the last third-party candidate to win any states in a presidential election, carrying five Southern states in 1968?

15. In two landslides, a defeated Democratic nominee won only one state plus Washington, DC. Which state did George McGovern win in 1972, and which state did Walter Mondale win in 1984?

16. Which US territory became the first to give women the right to vote, in 1869, and later became known as "The Equality State"?

17. Which constitutional amendment gave Washington, DC, electoral votes in presidential elections, and how many does it have?

18. Most states give all their electoral votes to the statewide winner. Which two states can split their electoral votes, partly by congressional district?

19. After the 2000 election, George W. Bush was certified the winner in Florida by how many votes, and what was the name of the Supreme Court case that ended the recount?

20. In the 2016 Electoral College vote, which former Secretary of State, who was not a candidate, received three electoral votes from faithless electors in Washington state?