Ohio Elects Presidents - State Electoral College Vote Totals

Why is Ohio viewed as such an important state in national elections, and why is it important for you to be involved in Ohio’s elections process? Because Ohio elects Presidents. In each of the last two close Presidential elections, Ohio proved to be a pivotal state with enough Electoral votes to change the outcome of the country's biggest election.  Ohio will again be a decisive state in the 2012 Presidential election, and your vote makes a difference!

No Republican candidate has ever been elected president, and in the modern era, no Democrat candidate has been elected President, without winning Ohio and its electoral votes. 

In 2000 and 2004, victories in Ohio allowed George Bush to become President and be re-elected. In 2000, the vote total in Ohio was 2,351,209 for President Bush and 2,186,190 for Al Gore, a difference of just 3 1/2 percent.  In 2004 the state results were 2,859,768 for President Bush and 2,741,167 for John Kerry – a difference of just more than 2 percent!

In 2008, Barack Obama's victory in Ohio allowed him to add the state's 20 electoral votes to his winning total of 365.

Total Electoral Votes: 538
Electoral Votes Needed to Elect a President: 270

2000 totals: Bush 271 - Gore 266  (Ohio cast 21 Electoral votes for President Bush)
2004 totals: Bush 286 - Kerry 251 (Ohio cast 20 Electoral votes for President Bush)
2008 totals: Obama 365 - McCain 173 (Ohio cast 20 Electoral votes for President Obama)

Electoral Votes by State:

Sources: Federal Elections Commission, Ohio Secretary of State

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