Lincoln carried all but one Northern state to win an Electoral College majority with 180 votes to 72 for Breckinridge, 39 for Bell, and 12 for Douglas. Nationwide, Lincoln took 39.8% of the popular vote, while Douglas won 29.5% of the popular vote, Breckenridge won 18.1%, and Bell won 12.6%. 82.2 percent of eligible voters took part in the contentious election, the second highest turnout in U.S. history. Aside from the committee's activities, Congress would generally defer to Lincoln's leadership throughout the war.
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