1940 United States presidential election in Georgia

The 1940 United States presidential election in Georgia took place on November 5, 1940, as part of the wider United States Presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Main article: 1940 United States presidential election

United States presidential election in Georgia, 1940

November 5, 1940 (1940-11-05)

Nominee Franklin Roosevelt Wendell Willkie Party Democratic Republican Home state New York New York Running mate Henry A. Wallace Charles L. McNary Electoral vote 12 0 Popular vote 265,194 46,360 Percentage 84.85% 14.83%

County Results Roosevelt   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90%   90-100% Wilkie   50-60%

President before election Franklin Roosevelt Democratic Elected President Franklin Roosevelt Democratic

Background

With the exception of a handful of historically Unionist North Georgia counties – chiefly Fannin but also to a lesser extent Pickens, Gilmer and Towns – Georgia since the 1880s had been a 1-party state dominated by the Democratic Party. Disfranchisement of almost all African-Americans and most poor whites had made the Republican Party virtually nonexistent outside of local governments in those few hill counties, and the national Democratic Party served as the guardian of white supremacy against a Republican Party historically associated with memories of Reconstruction. The only competitive elections were Democratic primaries, which state laws restricted to whites on the grounds of the Democratic Party being legally a private club.[1]

Vote

The Roosevelt/Wallace ticket easily carried the state of Georgia on election day.

Results

United States presidential election in Georgia, 1940 [2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Franklin Roosevelt	265,194	84.85%	12
	Republican	Wendell Willkie	46,360	14.83%	0
	Prohibition	Roger Babson	983	0.31%	0
	Independent Democrats	Write-ins	14	0.00%	0

References

1. Springer, Melanie Jean; How the States Shaped the Nation: American Electoral Institutions and Voter Turnout, 1920-2000, p. 155 ISBN 022611435X
2. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 1940 Presidential General Election Results – Georgia

Notes