National Archives and Records Administration



Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)

Tally of electoral votes

This tally shows that Jackson received a plurality of 99 electoral votes, falling 32 votes shy of the majority required by the Constitution. Since no candidate received a majority of the electoral votes, the House retired to its chamber to select a President.

House Speaker Henry Clay, who finished fourth and was no longer a candidate, was in a critical position to determine the outcome of the House vote. He threw his support and considerable influence behind John Quincy Adams. Although the Constitution does not require that the House select the lead candidate, when John Quincy Adams was chosen over Andrew Jackson, Jackson and his supporters charged that the House of Representatives had openly defied the will of the people.

Tally of electoral votes, showing the number of votes received by the four candidates: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay, February 9, 1825

Tally of electoral votes, showing the number of votes received by the four candidates: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay, February 9, 1825
National Archives, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, exhibited with the permission of the House of Representatives.

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Last updated: July 1, 1998