# 1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina

Elections in North Carolina :
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1792
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1846 (sp)
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1829 (sp)
1830
1835
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1836 (sp)
1840 (sp)
1841
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1854 (sp)
1855
1858 (sp)
1861
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1872 (sp)
1876
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1790
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sp:4
1796
sp:4
1798
sp:10
1800
1801
sp:8
1802
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1803
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1806
sp:10
1808
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1810
1813
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1815
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1819
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sp:4
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1826
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sp:8
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1938
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1948
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1952
1956
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1968
1972
1980
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1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
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sp:1
2006
2008
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2012
2014
sp:12
2016
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9
2019
sp:3
sp:9
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State executive
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1803
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2000
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Council of State elections
1996
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Secretary of State elections
1940
1944
1996
2024 :
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2000
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State House elections
2000
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2024 :
State judiciary
Judicial elections
1996
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Ballot measures
2012Amendment 1 :
Mayoral elections
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2001
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1979
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1997
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Winston-Salem mayoral elections
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vte :
The 1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1896 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.
North Carolina was won by the Democratic nominees, former U.S. Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and his running mate Arthur Sewall of Maine. 5 electors cast their vice presidential ballots for Thomas E. Watson, who was nominated as Bryan's running mate under the Populist Party banner in a form of fusion, at the same time as the Populists were engaging in fusion with the North Carolina Republicans at the state level (both fusion efforts being orchestrated by Marion Butler.) They defeated the Republican nominees, former Governor of Ohio William McKinley and his running mate Garret Hobart of New Jersey. Bryan won the state by a margin of 5.82%.
As of 2024, this is the last occasion Northampton County has voted for a Republican presidential candidate, which stands as the longest Democratic streak in the nation. While Northampton County had been majority Black and a Republican bastion since the Civil War, the 1899 disenfranchisement of Black voters by North Carolina Democrats following their White supremacy campaign of 1898 prevented Republicans from winning the county until long after political realignment had occurred.

## Results

1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Democratic | William Jennings Bryan | 174,408 | 52.64% | 6 |
| | Populist | William Jennings Bryan | 0 | 0.00% | 5 |
| | Total | William Jennings Bryan | 174,408 | 52.64% | 11 |
| | Republican | William McKinley | 155,122 | 46.82% | 0 |
| | Prohibition | Joshua Levering | 635 | 0.19% | 0 |
| | National Democratic | John M. Palmer | 578 | 0.17% | 0 |
| | Write-ins | Scattered | 372 | 0.11% | 0 |
| | National Prohibition | Charles Eugene Bentley | 222 | 0.07% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 331,337 | 100.00% | 11 |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | | | — |

### Results by county

1896 United States presidential election in North Carolina by county :
| County | William Jennings Bryan Democratic | William Jennings Bryan Democratic | William McKinley Republican | William McKinley Republican | Joshua Levering Prohibition | Joshua Levering Prohibition | John McAuley Palmer National Democratic | John McAuley Palmer National Democratic | Various candidates Other parties | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Margin |
| County | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # |
| Stanly | 73.53% | 1,425 | 26.37% | 511 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 47.16% | 914 |
| Union | 72.69% | 2,747 | 26.70% | 1,009 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.58% | 22 | 0.00% | 0 | 45.99% | 1,738 |
| Onslow | 72.58% | 1,559 | 27.42% | 589 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 45.16% | 970 |
| Catawba | 71.94% | 2,649 | 27.27% | 1,004 | 0.54% | 20 | 0.19% | 7 | 0.05% | 2 | 44.68% | 1,645 |
| Cabarrus | 68.06% | 2,250 | 30.13% | 996 | 0.54% | 18 | 1.09% | 36 | 0.18% | 6 | 37.93% | 1,254 |
| Anson | 68.66% | 2,322 | 31.34% | 1,060 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 37.32% | 1,262 |
| Cleveland | 67.89% | 2,664 | 30.99% | 1,216 | 0.13% | 5 | 0.99% | 39 | 0.00% | 0 | 36.90% | 1,448 |
| Sampson | 67.63% | 2,789 | 30.82% | 1,271 | 0.51% | 21 | 0.00% | 0 | 1.04% | 43 | 36.81% | 1,518 |
| Duplin | 67.59% | 2,409 | 32.18% | 1,147 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.17% | 6 | 35.41% | 1,262 |
| Rowan | 67.28% | 3,095 | 31.91% | 1,468 | 0.72% | 33 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.07% | 3 | 35.37% | 1,627 |
| Currituck | 66.09% | 922 | 33.84% | 472 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.07% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 32.26% | 450 |
| Chatham | 65.77% | 2,892 | 33.89% | 1,490 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.27% | 12 | 31.89% | 1,402 |
| Wilson | 65.37% | 2,715 | 34.58% | 1,436 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 30.80% | 1,279 |
| Johnston | 64.67% | 3,343 | 35.29% | 1,824 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 29.39% | 1,519 |
| Haywood | 64.07% | 1,901 | 35.02% | 1,039 | 0.27% | 8 | 0.51% | 15 | 0.13% | 4 | 29.05% | 862 |
| Alexander | 64.24% | 1,119 | 35.59% | 620 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.11% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 28.65% | 499 |
| Franklin | 63.68% | 3,217 | 36.30% | 1,834 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.02% | 1 | 27.38% | 1,383 |
| Nash | 63.17% | 2,916 | 36.81% | 1,699 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.02% | 1 | 26.36% | 1,217 |
| Columbus | 61.91% | 1,918 | 37.51% | 1,162 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.58% | 18 | 0.00% | 0 | 24.40% | 756 |
| Harnett | 61.03% | 1,676 | 37.95% | 1,042 | 0.80% | 22 | 0.22% | 6 | 0.00% | 0 | 23.09% | 634 |
| Clay | 61.42% | 476 | 38.58% | 299 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 22.84% | 177 |
| Swain | 60.25% | 808 | 39.60% | 531 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.15% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 20.66% | 277 |
| Iredell | 59.45% | 2,958 | 40.25% | 2,003 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.06% | 3 | 0.14% | 7 | 19.19% | 955 |
| Caldwell | 57.93% | 1,428 | 39.23% | 967 | 2.39% | 59 | 0.45% | 11 | 0.00% | 0 | 18.70% | 461 |
| Brunswick | 59.27% | 1,279 | 40.69% | 878 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 18.58% | 401 |
| Gates | 58.86% | 1,086 | 41.14% | 759 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 17.72% | 327 |
| Wayne | 58.56% | 3,215 | 40.95% | 2,248 | 0.42% | 23 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.05% | 3 | 17.61% | 967 |
| Robeson | 58.70% | 3,457 | 41.25% | 2,429 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 17.46% | 1,028 |
| Lenoir | 58.20% | 1,966 | 41.74% | 1,410 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.06% | 2 | 16.46% | 556 |
| Carteret | 57.95% | 1,308 | 41.78% | 943 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.27% | 6 | 16.17% | 365 |
| Orange | 57.09% | 1,700 | 42.44% | 1,264 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.24% | 7 | 0.24% | 7 | 14.64% | 436 |
| Pamlico | 57.25% | 861 | 42.69% | 642 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.07% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 14.56% | 219 |
| Lincoln | 56.63% | 1,349 | 42.40% | 1,010 | 0.50% | 12 | 0.46% | 11 | 0.00% | 0 | 14.23% | 339 |
| Pitt | 56.99% | 3,181 | 42.82% | 2,390 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.16% | 9 | 14.17% | 791 |
| Bladen | 56.94% | 1,665 | 42.95% | 1,256 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.00% | 0 | 13.99% | 409 |
| Jackson | 56.74% | 1,145 | 43.26% | 873 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 13.48% | 272 |
| Macon | 56.02% | 1,140 | 43.78% | 891 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 12.24% | 249 |
| Gaston | 55.51% | 2,069 | 43.60% | 1,625 | 0.78% | 29 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.03% | 1 | 11.91% | 444 |
| McDowell | 55.79% | 1,204 | 44.02% | 950 | 0.14% | 3 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 11.77% | 254 |
| Durham | 55.20% | 2,435 | 43.62% | 1,924 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.09% | 4 | 1.09% | 48 | 11.58% | 511 |
| Martin | 55.02% | 1,681 | 44.98% | 1,374 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 10.05% | 307 |
| Person | 54.99% | 1,713 | 45.01% | 1,402 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 9.98% | 311 |
| Alleghany | 54.88% | 737 | 45.05% | 605 | 0.07% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 9.83% | 132 |
| Hyde | 54.55% | 1,019 | 45.34% | 847 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.11% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 9.21% | 172 |
| Mecklenburg | 53.63% | 4,714 | 44.61% | 3,921 | 0.55% | 48 | 0.39% | 34 | 0.83% | 73 | 9.02% | 793 |
| Jones | 54.27% | 814 | 45.73% | 686 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 8.53% | 128 |
| Wake | 53.31% | 5,396 | 46.19% | 4,675 | 0.11% | 11 | 0.19% | 19 | 0.20% | 20 | 7.12% | 721 |
| Greene | 53.43% | 1,222 | 46.57% | 1,065 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 6.86% | 157 |
| Cumberland | 52.88% | 2,509 | 46.36% | 2,200 | 0.63% | 30 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.04% | 2 | 6.51% | 309 |
| Beaufort | 52.98% | 2,513 | 46.53% | 2,207 | 0.15% | 7 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.30% | 14 | 6.45% | 306 |
| Moore | 52.96% | 2,207 | 46.75% | 1,948 | 0.19% | 8 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.00% | 0 | 6.22% | 259 |
| Rockingham | 52.78% | 2,882 | 47.05% | 2,569 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.13% | 7 | 5.73% | 313 |
| Burke | 52.22% | 1,550 | 46.66% | 1,385 | 0.40% | 12 | 0.71% | 21 | 0.00% | 0 | 5.56% | 165 |
| Rutherford | 52.15% | 2,146 | 47.46% | 1,953 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.29% | 12 | 0.00% | 0 | 4.69% | 193 |
| Pender | 52.30% | 1,276 | 47.70% | 1,164 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 4.59% | 112 |
| Yancey | 51.82% | 1,056 | 48.18% | 982 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 3.63% | 74 |
| Graham | 51.13% | 363 | 48.87% | 347 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 2.25% | 16 |
| Granville | 50.90% | 2,269 | 48.79% | 2,175 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.31% | 14 | 0.00% | 0 | 2.11% | 94 |
| Guilford | 49.67% | 3,479 | 49.33% | 3,455 | 0.61% | 43 | 0.26% | 18 | 0.13% | 9 | 0.34% | 24 |
| Alamance | 49.34% | 2,302 | 49.59% | 2,314 | 0.21% | 10 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.84% | 39 | -0.26% | -12 |
| Camden | 48.51% | 554 | 51.49% | 588 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -2.98% | -34 |
| Montgomery | 48.31% | 1,129 | 51.60% | 1,206 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | -3.29% | -77 |
| Transylvania | 48.14% | 595 | 51.54% | 637 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.32% | 4 | 0.00% | 0 | -3.40% | -42 |
| Watauga | 47.46% | 1,063 | 52.05% | 1,166 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.18% | 4 | 0.18% | 4 | -4.60% | -103 |
| Randolph | 46.58% | 2,482 | 51.47% | 2,743 | 1.56% | 83 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.39% | 21 | -4.90% | -261 |
| Ashe | 47.14% | 1,574 | 52.74% | 1,761 | 0.12% | 4 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -5.60% | -187 |
| Buncombe | 46.93% | 4,098 | 52.80% | 4,611 | 0.02% | 2 | 0.18% | 16 | 0.07% | 6 | -5.87% | -513 |
| Davidson | 46.24% | 2,072 | 53.00% | 2,375 | 0.54% | 24 | 0.11% | 5 | 0.11% | 5 | -6.76% | -303 |
| Hertford | 46.51% | 1,240 | 53.49% | 1,426 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -6.98% | -186 |
| Dare | 46.42% | 408 | 53.58% | 471 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -7.17% | -63 |
| Richmond | 46.08% | 2,172 | 53.65% | 2,529 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.28% | 13 | 0.00% | 0 | -7.57% | -357 |
| Vance | 45.57% | 1,465 | 54.28% | 1,745 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | -8.71% | -280 |
| Tyrrell | 45.57% | 411 | 54.43% | 491 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -8.87% | -80 |
| Northampton | 45.17% | 1,906 | 54.74% | 2,310 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.09% | 4 | 0.00% | 0 | -9.57% | -404 |
| Caswell | 44.00% | 1,372 | 54.55% | 1,701 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.03% | 1 | 1.41% | 44 | -10.55% | -329 |
| Perquimans | 43.64% | 793 | 55.92% | 1,016 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.44% | 8 | 0.00% | 0 | -12.27% | -223 |
| Cherokee | 43.77% | 770 | 56.11% | 987 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.11% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | -12.34% | -217 |
| Surry | 43.73% | 2,019 | 56.10% | 2,590 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.17% | 8 | 0.00% | 0 | -12.37% | -571 |
| Bertie | 43.03% | 1,711 | 56.72% | 2,255 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.15% | 6 | 0.10% | 4 | -13.68% | -544 |
| Edgecombe | 42.34% | 2,032 | 57.47% | 2,758 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.19% | 9 | 0.00% | 0 | -15.13% | -726 |
| Forsyth | 41.33% | 2,778 | 57.85% | 3,888 | 0.45% | 30 | 0.33% | 22 | 0.04% | 3 | -16.52% | -1,110 |
| Henderson | 40.99% | 1,022 | 58.52% | 1,459 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.44% | 11 | 0.04% | 1 | -17.53% | -437 |
| Stokes | 41.13% | 1,447 | 58.81% | 2,069 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -17.68% | -622 |
| Chowan | 40.84% | 791 | 59.16% | 1,146 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -18.33% | -355 |
| Davie | 40.56% | 894 | 59.26% | 1,306 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | -18.69% | -412 |
| Pasquotank | 40.43% | 1,037 | 59.22% | 1,519 | 0.23% | 6 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.00% | 0 | -18.79% | -482 |
| New Hanover | 38.38% | 2,100 | 58.17% | 3,183 | 0.00% | 0 | 1.74% | 95 | 1.72% | 94 | -19.79% | -1,083 |
| Yadkin | 39.67% | 1,093 | 59.75% | 1,646 | 0.29% | 8 | 0.07% | 2 | 0.22% | 6 | -20.07% | -553 |
| Polk | 38.66% | 469 | 60.26% | 731 | 1.07% | 13 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -21.60% | -262 |
| Wilkes | 38.80% | 1,801 | 61.07% | 2,835 | 0.09% | 4 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.04% | 2 | -22.27% | -1,034 |
| Craven | 37.49% | 1,810 | 60.50% | 2,921 | 0.12% | 6 | 0.25% | 12 | 1.64% | 79 | -23.01% | -1,111 |
| Madison | 37.39% | 1,357 | 62.55% | 2,270 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | -25.16% | -913 |
| Washington | 36.44% | 739 | 63.56% | 1,289 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -27.12% | -550 |
| Halifax | 36.02% | 2,255 | 63.94% | 4,003 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.00% | 0 | -27.92% | -1,748 |
| Warren | 35.75% | 1,213 | 64.10% | 2,175 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.15% | 5 | 0.00% | 0 | -28.35% | -962 |
| Mitchell | 25.29% | 630 | 74.71% | 1,861 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | -49.42% | -1,231 |