United States Historical Election Returns Series

collection: series

Investigator(s): Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)

Studies

4

Variables

73,252

Publications

316

About this Collection

The United States Historical Election Returns series was developed by ICPSR and was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. ICPSR's holdings of historical election data cover the years 1788-1990 and consist of several discrete datasets that contain county- and state-level returns for all elections to the offices of president, governor, United States senator, and United States representative. ICPSR distributes three major general election data collections: United States Historical Election Returns, 1824-1968 (ICPSR 0001), General Election Data for the United States, 1950-1990 (ICPSR 0013), and United States Historical Election Returns, 1788-1823 (ICPSR 0079). ICPSR 0001 contains state files that list county- level returns for over 90 percent of all elections to the offices of president, governor, United States senator, and United States representative for all parties and candidates from 1824 to 1968, as well as special elections and regularly-scheduled contests. ICPSR 0013 consists of national files containing county-level returns for elections to the offices of president, governor, United States senator, and United States representative from 1950 to 1990. Also included in this collection are returns for one additional statewide office, usually attorney general or secretary of state, for those states that elected state offices in the period 1970-1990. ICPSR 0079 is an extension of the general election collection (ICPSR 0001) and covers the preceding years, 1788-1823, going back to the occurrence of the first elections held under the United States Constitution. This collection contains data for elections to the offices of president, governor, and United States representative for the years 1788-1823. These data, recorded chiefly at the county level, consist of only about half of the possible returns for elections in this period and are less complete than the body of returns available for the years from 1824-present. The Candidate Name and Constituency Totals, 1788-1990 (ICPSR 0002) data collection provides the names of candidates, candidates' political party name and ICPSR party ID code, and the number of votes received by each candidate for elections between 1788 and 1900. The data include county-level returns for over 90 percent of all elections to the offices of president, governor, United States representative (1824-1990), and United States senator (1912-1990). The dataset also includes returns for approximately two-thirds of all elections to the offices of president, governor, United States senator, and United States representative for the period 1788-1823. It contains returns for all parties and candidates (as well as scattering vote) contesting general elections and special elections anywhere in the nation. Information is also included on elections for which returns are available only at the constituency level and therefore not found in the county-level files of election returns in the other collections. Beginning with the 1968 elections, returns for one additional statewide office were included. Also included are 1990 data from the District of Columbia for United States senator and United States representative.

Studies

4 results

United States Historical Election Returns, 1788-1823

This data collection contains general election returns for the offices of president, governor, and United States representative in the period 1788-1823. These returns comprise an extension of the general election collection (see United States Historical Election Returns, 1824-1968 (ICPSR 1)) back to the occurrence of the first elections held under the United States Constitution. The data are recorded chiefly at the county level, although town-level returns were collected and preserved as well for the New England states. This collection of Early National period election returns is much less complete than the body of returns available for the years from 1824 to the present. Fugitive and nonextant sources resulted in the recovery of only approximately half of the possible returns for elections in this period. The collection and processing of the pre-1824 election materials was supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

United States Historical Election Returns, 1824-1968

Please read the collection notes below; there are many points to be aware of for this collection prior to analysis.

This collection of historical election data contains state files that list county-level returns for over 90 percent of all elections to the offices of president, governor, United States senator, and United States representative from 1824 through 1968. The data files include returns for all parties and candidates (as well as write-in and scattering votes if available for individual states), and for special elections as well as regularly-scheduled contests. Over 1,000 individual party names and many additional unaffiliated candidates are included.

Candidate Name and Constituency Totals, 1788-1990

The United States Historical Election Returns Series consists of several datasets, the major files are the United States Historical Election Returns, 1788-1968 (ICPSR 00001) and General Election Data for the United States, 1950-1990 (ICPSR 00013). ICPSR 00001 includes county-level returns for over 90 percent of all elections to the offices of president, governor, United States representative (1824-1990), and United States senator (1912-1990).The dataset also includes returns for approximately two-thirds of all elections to the offices of president, governor, and United States representative for the period 1788-1823. Study ICPSR 00013 contains county-level returns for all elections to the same national and state offices, plus one additional state-wide office, usually attorney general or secretary of state.

This data collection provides summary information about candidates contesting elections and special elections anywhere in the nation, political party name and ICPSR party ID code, and the number of votes received by each candidate in the constituency for elections between 1788 and 1990. The information also include election for which returns are available solely at the constituency level and not found in the country-level files of elections returns described above. For detailed information about candidates and contests, please refer to study Constituency Statistics of Elections in the United States, 1788-1990 (ICPSR 7757).

This release further include 1990 data from the District of Columbia election for United States senator and United States representative. The offices of two senators and one representative were created by the "District of Columbia Statehood Constitutional Convention Initiative," which was approved by District voters in 1980. Elections for these offices were postponed until the 1990 general election. The three offices are currently local District positions, which will turn into federal offices if the District becomes a state.

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