United States Presidential Election of 1796

John Adams beat Thomas Jefferson 71 to 68 in the first contested presidential election.

Overview

With Washington retiring, the first openly contested race produced the first peaceful transfer of power between rivals in the modern world. Federalist John Adams edged Democratic-Republican Jefferson 71 to 68 in the electoral college, but under the original rules Jefferson, as runner-up, became vice president, creating an awkward divided executive. Thomas Pinckney and Aaron Burr trailed. The flawed 1796 outcome exposed the electoral college's tie problem and led directly to the Twelfth Amendment separating presidential and vice presidential votes.