Major sources for federal election results are listed to the left.
For U.S. federal election statistics, the Statistical Abstract of the United States (section 7) is another great place to start looking. Even if the data that you want are not there, look at the footnotes for relevant tables and the introduction to section 7 for pointers to more comprehensive sources. Previous editions, 1878-, are also available.
For Maine, depending on the election, Election Results may provide the results of local and State of Maine races, as well as races for Maine federal offices, 2008-.
For U.S. state and local election statistics, consult these guides:
Please contact us if you would like assistance with data!
Voting and Registration in the Election of-, U.S. Census Bureau (online)
Govt C 3.186/3: (print)
Data and charts on the demographics of voting, provided each election year from the Census's Current Population Survey; state rankings and tables included.
Vital Statistics on American Politics
Main Ref JK 274 .S74 1988
Elections & political parties; campaign finance; PACs; public opinion and more
A Statistical History of the American Electorate
Main Ref JK1967 .R87 2001
Title & location | Years | Results for... | Source | Races |
---|---|---|---|---|
A New Nation Votes | 1787-1826 | varies | American Antiquarian Society and Tufts University Digital Collections and Archives; compiled by Philip J. Lampi. "The bulk of the election data came from contemporary sources such as newspapers and original election ballots. Other sources include County histories that were published in the 19th century." | Variety of federal, state, and local elections |
United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997, Main Ref JK1967 .D77 1998 |
1788-1997 | HR: district, S: state | McFarland & Co. | Federal election results for general elections and special elections for the House and Senate. |
CQ Voting and Elections Collection Best Bet | Varies, 1789- | Down to state, county, HR: district | See Sources. | General and primary election results for President, House, Senate, and Governor. See Election Returns Scope. |
Presidential Elections Since 1789, Main Ref JK 524 C66 |
1789-1972 (general election) 1912-1972 (primary) |
State | CQ Press | General election and primary election results for President. |
Presidential Elections Data | 1789-present | State; occasionally others | The American Presidency Project | General election results for President. |
Election Data | 1912-present | State; County | Social Explorer from Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Maps only. | President, House, Senate, Governor. |
Election Statistics | 1920- | State; HR: district | U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk | General election results for the House, Senate, and Presidential Electors published in Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election and Statistics of the Congressional Election |
America Votes, Main Ref JK1967 .A8 |
1956- | State, county; HR: district | CQ Press | General election results for President, House, Senate, Governor. Summary results for primary elections. |
America at the polls, 1960-2000 John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush: a handbook of American presidential election statistics, Main Libr JK524 .M33 2001 |
1960-2000 | State, county | CQ Press | General election results for President. Summary results for primary elections. |
America at the polls 2: a handbook of American presidential election statistics, 1968-1984, Main Ref JK524 .S22 1988 |
1968-1984 | State, county | CQ Press | General election results for President. |
USA Counties | 1980-2008 | U.S., state, county | CQ Press via Census Bureau | President. Total and by party. Subject to copyright. Excel file. Note: as of July 2021, these files appear to be no longer available on the Census Bureau website. |
Federal Elections | 1982- | State; HR: district | Federal Election Commission | Official, certified federal election results for the primary, runoff and general election results for President, House, Senate. |
Precinct-Level Election Data | 2002-2012 | Precinct | Election Data Archive, Harvard University | President, House, Senate, Governor, other state races (depending on the state and election) |
United States Historical Election Returns Series | varies | State, county | ICPSR | President, House, Senate, Governor. Files require some expertise to use. |
Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections Best Bet
U.S. election data that provides tables, graphs, and maps for presidential (1789-present), senatorial (1990+), and gubernatorial (1990+) elections.
MIT Election Data + Science Lab
Research and data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Vital Statistics on American Politics
Main Ref JK 274 .S74 1988
Elections & political parties; campaign finance; PACs; public opinion and more
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections
Main Ref JK1967 .C662 2001
The Pursuit of the White House: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics and
History
Main Ref JK 524 T44 1987
A Statistical History of the American Electorate
Main Ref JK1967 .R87 2001
Statistical History of the American Presidential Elections, 1789-1960
Main Ref JK1967 .P4 1963
Articles and tables on the role of parties
U.S. Election Statistics: A Resource Guide, Library of Congress
"online and print resources that contain U.S. election statistics for both federal and state elections"
Elections Data, from University of Pennsylvania
Elections and Voting Data Guide, from Princeton University
List of Sources for the CQ Voting and Elections Collection.
Election Administration by the Numbers: An Analysis of Available Datasets and How to Use Them, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Pew Center on the States.
For more books on electoral statistics, try searching on this subject heading in the library's catalog:
Elections -- United States