Most exciting election

[Phony Moderate]

1968 - Don't see how anyone couldn't put this as one of their choices. Incumbent president challenged by the candidate of the hippies who then runs him close in New Hampshire. Incumbent president then drops out and the brother of the previous president enters. A civil rights leader (who is arguably the greatest American ever) is assassinated, then the brother of the previous president is assassinated just after giving his victory speech on the night of the California primary. Riots then take place at the Democratic convention.

Meanwhile, the Republican race is turned upside down due to an idiotic gaffe by the frontrunner. It turns out to be a contest between the NY governor, a bad actor-turned-CA governor and a former vice president who narrowly lost eight years prior.

Then you have a segregationist governor running a strong third-party campaign.

Peace talks collapse just days before the election, which turns out to be a nailbiter.

1896 - Jeez, no one has mentioned this? WJB ran perhaps the most high energy campaign in American history and gave perhaps the greatest ever speech at a political party convention. Also the election was a major turning point.

[Phony Moderate]

2000 was about the last election with a decent number of close states.

[Phony Moderate]

As I've said before there are a number of elections that were epic to live through but aren't as interesting to study in hindsight, and vice versa for that matter. 2004 was one where both sides were at their most passionate and there was a real feeling of historic importance to it (more than just the usual BS "THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIFETIMES!!!111!), yet in hindsight it doesn't seem like that. The most notable thing about it is that it appears to have been the last gasp of the Religious Right. 2000 is the opposite; at the time it was (as has been pointed out) viewed as dull and neither candidates were seen as being transformational, yet in hindsight it's fascinating for the legal battles and for being the election of one of the most controversial presidents in history.