State winner not the Overall Winner

[rockhound]

Everyone always talks about the times (like 2000) when the winner of the popular vote did not win the election.

But since the Electoral college is a by-product of the Conecticut compromise, we should be just as interested in the times that the winner of the majority of states did not get elected president.   In 1976, for example, Ford carried 54% of the states but lost the election.   Had the the union been formed more like the UN, he would have been the winner.

Has anyone counted up the times the state winner lost the election?

[rockhound]

By the way, welcome to the forum, rockhound!

Thank-you, glad I found it.

[rockhound]

Ok, here's the unofficial tally:

1976
Carter won with 23 states to Fords 27

1960
Kennedy won with 22 states to Nixon's 26 (Miss and Ala went elsewhere)

In both 1880 and 1884, the winner (Garfield and Taylor, respectively, tied for the most states with the runner up).

In 1800 and prior, electors were splitting their state votes so it gets hard to tell.

So there are just 2 real instances since 1800 where the winner of the most states did not win the election.   I believe there are more times that the winner of the popular vote did not win.  So it seems that winning the most states is a surer way to the White House, than winning the popular vote!

Note, also that never has anyone won while losing both the popular vote and the state count, though Garfield tying in states, and winning the popular vote by just .02% came close.