James Monroe was re-nominated by the DR Caucus with Daniel D. Tompkins running for Vice President. Although the nation was experiencing an economic downturn at the time, there was very little opposition to his re-election. The Federalists made no nomination, though the party sponsored slates of Electors in some states.

The Popular Vote

Though there was no real opposition, more states shifted the selection of Presidential Electors from the legislature to popular vote. Nine states chose Electors using the General Ticket (at large): CT, MS, NH, NJ, NC, OH, PA, RI, and VA. Four states used Presidential Elector Districts: IL, KY, MD, and TN. Two states - ME and MA - chose one Elector in each congressional district and two at large. Only nine chose Electors by the legislature. States with popular selection would choose 161 Presidential Electors to just 72 by the legislatures.

Turnout was minimal. The Louisiana Herald reported that "the election ... comes on with so gentle an aspect, and with a step so light, that its approach is scarcely noticed. The warring elements of party are at rest." In contrast, North Carolina's Raleigh Minerva scorned the "farce of a presidential election" which approached.

With no national campaign, the election turned on local issues. In several states, such as Ohio, Illinois, Maine, and Mississippi,

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James Monroe was re-nominated by the DR Caucus with Daniel D. Tompkins running for Vice President. Although the nation was experiencing an economic downturn at the time, there was very little opposition to his re-election. The Federalists made no nomination, though the party sponsored slates of Electors in some states.

The Popular Vote

Though there was no real opposition, more states shifted the selection of Presidential Electors from the legislature to popular vote. Nine states chose Electors using the General Ticket (at large): CT, MS, NH, NJ, NC, OH, PA, RI, and VA. Four states used Presidential Elector Districts: IL, KY, MD, and TN. Two states - ME and MA - chose one Elector in each congressional district and two at large. Only nine chose Electors by the legislature. States with popular selection would choose 161 Presidential Electors to just 72 by the legislatures.

Turnout was minimal. The Louisiana Herald reported that "the election ... comes on with so gentle an aspect, and with a step so light, that its approach is scarcely noticed. The warring elements of party are at rest." In contrast, North Carolina's Raleigh Minerva scorned the "farce of a presidential election" which approached.

With no national campaign, the election turned on local issues. In several states, such as Ohio, Illinois, Maine, and Mississippi, the election became a free for all as the official DRP slate of Electors was challenged by anti-caucus Electors who did not always run as a team. William Henry Harrison was elected a Presidential Elector as an anti-caucus candidate in Ohio. In Pennsylvania, a slate of Electors was raised in support of DeWitt Clinton, though its support was limited mainly to Philadelphia. In Massachusetts, former President John Adams agreed to run on the Federalist slate of Electors if the ticket would agree to support Monroe. Slates of Federalist Electors also ran in CT, MD, and NC.

James Monroe won all the electoral votes at stake in the popular vote - 137 as the DRP nominee and 24 as the Federalist nominee. These votes gave him a majority of the electoral vote before the legislatures made their choices.

Electoral vote of 1820

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