In 1872, five different candidates received Electoral College votes for President (and 17 were not even cast). The explanation? The losing Democratic candidate, Horace Greeley, died after the popular votes were cast, but before the Electoral College votes were cast. So the winning Republican candidate, Ulysses S. Grant, and four different Democrats, received electoral votes.
In 1912, 1924 and 1968, three candidates received electoral votes as a result of third party candidacies. In 1860, there were four declared candidates for President. All four won some electoral votes.
Copyright © 2000 by Richard Warren Field