1996 United States presidential election in Illinois explained

The 1996 United States presidential election in Illinois took place on November 5, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 22 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Illinois was won by President Bill Clinton (D) over Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), with Clinton winning 54.32% to 36.81% for a margin of 17.51%. Billionaire businessman Ross Perot (Reform Party of the United States of America-TX) finished in third, with 8.03 percent of the popular vote.^[1]

, this is the last election in which Bond County, Christian County, Clay County, Clinton County, Fayette County, Greene County, Hamilton County, Hancock County, Hardin County, Jefferson County, Jersey County, Lawrence County, Marion County, Marshall County, Massac County, Moultrie County, Piatt County, Pike County, Pope County, Randolph County, Saline County, Shelby County, Union County, White County, and Williamson County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.^[2]

Primaries

Turnout

For the state-run primaries (Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian), turnout was 26.46%, with 1,620,768 votes cast. For the general election, turnout was 64.70%, with 4,311,391 votes cast.^[3]

State-run primaries were held for the Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian parties on March 19.^[4]

Democratic

See main article: 1996 Illinois Democratic presidential primary. The 1996 Illinois Democratic presidential primary was held on March 19, 1996, in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Democratic Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1996 presidential election.

Incumbent president Bill Clinton secured a victory with no major opposition.

1996 Illinois Democratic presidential primary! style="text-align:left;"

Candidate	Votes	%	Delegates
Bill Clinton (incumbent)	770,001	96.17
Elvena Lloyd-Duffie	16,045	2.00	0
Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr.	14,624	1.83	0
Heather Anne Harder (write-in)	6	0.00	0
Total	800,676	100%

Republican

See main article: 1996 Illinois Republican presidential primary.

The 1996 Illinois Republican presidential primary was held on March 19, 1996, in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Republican Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1996 presidential election.

1996 Illinois Republican presidential primary! style="text-align:left;"

Candidate	Votes	%	Delegates
Bob Dole	532,467	65.07
Patrick J. Buchannan	186,177	22.75
	39,906	4.88
Alan L. Keyes	30,052	3.67
	12,585	1.54
	8,286	1.01
	6,696	0.82
	2,189	0.27
V.A. Kelly (write-in)	6	0.00
Total	818,364	100%

Libertarian

The 1996 Illinois Libertarian presidential primary was held on March 19, 1996, in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Libertarian Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1996 presidential election. It was a non-binding preference primary, from which no delegates were awarded.

1996 Illinois Libertarian presidential primary! style="text-align:left;"

Candidate	Votes	%
Harry Browne	1,278	73.96
Irwin Schiff	450	26.04
Total	1,728	100%

Results

1996 United States presidential election in Illinois
Party		Candidate	Running mate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Bill Clinton (Incumbent)	Al Gore (Incumbent)	2,341,744	54.32%	22
	Republican	Bob Dole	Jack Kemp	1,587,021	36.81%	0
	Reform	Ross Perot	Patrick Choate	346,408	8.03%	0
	Libertarian	Harry Browne	Jo Jorgensen	22,548	0.52%	0
	U.S. Taxpayers' Party	Howard Phillips	Joseph Zdonczyk	7,606	0.17%	0
	Natural Law	Dr. John Hagelin	Dr. V. Tompkins	4,606	0.10%	0
	Write-in	Ralph Nader		1,447	0.03%	0
	No party	Write-in		10	0.00%	0
	Write-in	Earl Dodge		1	0.00%	0

Results by county

County	Bill Clinton Democratic		Bob Dole Republican		Ross Perot Reform		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast[5]
		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		11,336		39.90%		13,836		48.70%		3,069		10.80%		170		0.60%		-2,500		-8.80%		28,321
	Alexander		2,753		63.96%		1,212		28.16%		321		7.46%		18		0.42%		1,541		35.80%		4,296
	Bond		3,213		46.10%		3,018		43.30%		685		9.83%		54		0.77%		195		2.80%		6,938
	Boone		5,345		41.09%		6,181		47.51%		1,377		10.58%		106		0.81%		-836		-6.42%		12,939
	Brown		997		43.40%		1,053		45.84%		237		10.32%		10		0.44%		-56		-2.44%		2,290
	Bureau		7,651		47.60%		6,528		40.61%		1,798		11.19%		96		0.60%		1,123		6.99%		16,011
	Calhoun		1,676		55.63%		941		31.23%		363		12.05%		33		1.10%		735		24.40%		3,003
	Carroll		2,926		43.04%		3,029		44.55%		792		11.65%		52		0.76%		-103		-1.51%		6,759
	Cass		2,834		50.01%		2,214		39.07%		589		10.39%		30		0.53%		620		10.94%		5,653
	Champaign		32,454		48.86%		28,232		42.50%		4,806		7.23%		937		1.41%		4,222		6.36%		65,884
	Christian		7,431		50.08%		5,563		37.49%		1,727		11.64%		116		0.78%		1,868		12.59%		14,778
	Clark		2,995		41.48%		3,409		47.22%		781		10.82%		35		0.48%		-414		-5.74%		7,201
	Clay		2,750		44.16%		2,703		43.40%		719		11.54%		56		0.90%		47		0.76%		6,206
	Clinton		6,104		44.09%		6,065		43.81%		1,580		11.41%		95		0.69%		39		0.28%		13,797
	Coles		8,950		46.38%		8,038		41.65%		2,137		11.07%		173		0.90%		912		4.73%		19,215
	Cook		1,153,289		66.79%		461,557		26.73%		96,633		5.60%		15,187		0.88%		691,732		40.06%		1,716,586
	Crawford		3,627		41.72%		3,965		45.61%		1,057		12.16%		44		0.51%		-338		-3.89%		8,663
	Cumberland		1,776		39.74%		2,002		44.80%		657		14.70%		34		0.76%		-226		-5.06%		4,449
	DeKalb		12,715		44.57%		12,380		43.40%		3,009		10.55%		423		1.48%		335		1.17%		28,226
	DeWitt		2,878		43.68%		2,978		45.20%		694		10.53%		39		0.59%		-100		-1.52%		6,564
	Douglas		2,955		42.14%		3,272		46.66%		740		10.55%		46		0.66%		-317		-4.52%		6,989
	DuPage		129,709		39.97%		164,630		50.74%		27,419		8.45%		2,728		0.84%		-34,921		-10.77%		322,688
	Edgar		3,552		42.78%		3,746		45.12%		935		11.26%		69		0.83%		-194		-2.34%		8,273
	Edwards		1,089		35.10%		1,613		51.98%		384		12.38%		17		0.55%		-524		-16.88%		3,096
	Effingham		4,825		33.97%		7,696		54.18%		1,555		10.95%		128		0.90%		-2,871		-20.21%		14,134
	Fayette		3,887		44.21%		3,881		44.14%		964		10.96%		60		0.68%		6		0.07%		8,769
	Ford		2,065		35.79%		3,077		53.33%		590		10.23%		38		0.66%		-1,012		-17.54%		5,753
	Franklin		9,814		56.54%		5,354		30.84%		2,096		12.08%		94		0.54%		4,460		25.70%		17,310
	Fulton		8,857		56.39%		5,155		32.82%		1,610		10.25%		84		0.53%		3,702		23.57%		15,663
	Gallatin		2,113		60.15%		856		24.37%		527		15.00%		17		0.48%		1,257		35.78%		3,505
	Greene		2,734		46.07%		2,245		37.83%		903		15.22%		52		0.88%		489		8.24%		5,909
	Grundy		6,759		45.36%		6,177		41.45%		1,860		12.48%		106		0.71%		582		3.91%		14,839
	Hamilton		2,242		49.72%		1,677		37.19%		560		12.42%		30		0.67%		565		12.53%		4,493
	Hancock		4,001		43.59%		3,961		43.16%		1,148		12.51%		68		0.74%		40		0.43%		9,140
	Hardin		1,323		50.55%		790		30.19%		485		18.53%		19		0.73%		533		20.36%		2,606
	Henderson		1,953		53.97%		1,233		34.07%		408		11.27%		25		0.69%		720		19.90%		3,611
	Henry		11,201		51.15%		8,393		38.33%		2,194		10.02%		109		0.50%		2,808		12.82%		21,839
	Iroquois		4,559		35.79%		6,564		51.53%		1,522		11.95%		92		0.72%		-2,005		-15.74%		12,684
	Jackson		12,214		55.49%		7,422		33.72%		2,082		9.46%		293		1.33%		4,792		21.77%		21,860
	Jasper		2,038		41.16%		2,234		45.12%		641		12.95%		38		0.77%		-196		-3.96%		4,930
	Jefferson		7,263		48.48%		5,937		39.63%		1,647		10.99%		134		0.89%		1,326		8.85%		14,924
	Jersey		4,275		48.77%		3,211		36.63%		1,186		13.53%		94		1.07%		1,064		12.14%		8,721
	Jo Daviess		4,171		44.82%		3,915		42.07%		1,131		12.15%		89		0.96%		256		2.75%		9,266
	Johnson		2,009		40.75%		2,241		45.46%		640		12.98%		40		0.81%		-232		-4.71%		4,906
	Kane		47,902		41.77%		54,375		47.41%		11,270		9.83%		1,146		1.00%		-6,473		-5.64%		113,983
	Kankakee		16,820		47.73%		14,595		41.41%		3,574		10.14%		252		0.72%		2,225		6.32%		35,097
	Kendall		6,499		36.78%		8,958		50.69%		2,055		11.63%		160		0.91%		-2,459		-13.91%		17,575
	Knox		12,487		55.38%		7,822		34.69%		2,096		9.30%		143		0.63%		4,665		20.69%		22,454
	Lake		93,315		45.57%		93,149		45.49%		16,640		8.13%		1,660		0.81%		166		0.08%		203,702
	LaSalle		21,643		50.94%		15,299		36.01%		5,259		12.38%		290		0.68%		6,344		14.93%		42,298
	Lawrence		2,871		44.92%		2,568		40.18%		916		14.33%		37		0.58%		303		4.74%		6,369
	Lee		5,895		41.57%		6,677		47.08%		1,520		10.72%		90		0.63%		-782		-5.51%		14,128
	Livingston		5,641		38.15%		7,653		51.75%		1,409		9.53%		85		0.57%		-2,012		-13.60%		14,737
	Logan		4,618		37.41%		6,518		52.80%		1,141		9.24%		68		0.55%		-1,900		-15.39%		12,308
	Macon		24,256		51.35%		18,161		38.45%		4,540		9.61%		278		0.59%		6,095		12.90%		47,063
	Macoupin		11,107		52.70%		7,235		34.33%		2,532		12.01%		201		0.95%		3,872		18.37%		21,005
	Madison		53,568		53.26%		35,758		35.55%		10,121		10.06%		1,126		1.12%		17,810		17.71%		100,101
	Marion		7,792		49.43%		5,999		38.06%		1,825		11.58%		147		0.93%		1,793		11.37%		15,681
	Marshall		2,640		46.20%		2,453		42.93%		586		10.26%		35		0.61%		187		3.27%		5,693
	Mason		3,385		52.53%		2,430		37.71%		600		9.31%		29		0.45%		955		14.82%		6,425
	Massac		2,841		46.90%		2,507		41.38%		675		11.14%		35		0.58%		334		5.52%		6,037
	McDonough		5,632		46.80%		5,049		41.95%		1,217		10.11%		137		1.14%		583		4.85%		11,962
	McHenry		31,240		37.52%		41,136		49.41%		10,082		12.11%		798		0.96%		-9,896		-11.89%		82,780
	McLean		22,708		42.50%		26,428		49.46%		3,816		7.14%		483		0.90%		-3,720		-6.96%		53,088
	Menard		2,204		37.56%		3,106		52.93%		534		9.10%		24		0.41%		-902		-15.37%		5,857
	Mercer		4,278		54.17%		2,688		34.04%		889		11.26%		42		0.53%		1,590		20.13%		7,871
	Monroe		4,798		41.60%		5,350		46.38%		1,276		11.06%		111		0.96%		-552		-4.78%		11,500
	Montgomery		6,338		50.18%		4,770		37.76%		1,436		11.37%		87		0.69%		1,568		12.42%		12,584
	Morgan		6,150		43.19%		6,352		44.61%		1,633		11.47%		103		0.72%		-202		-1.42%		14,179
	Moultrie		2,629		48.23%		2,199		40.34%		596		10.93%		27		0.50%		430		7.89%		5,430
	Ogle		6,765		36.90%		9,558		52.13%		1,876		10.23%		136		0.74%		-2,793		-15.23%		18,251
	Peoria		37,383		50.45%		30,990		41.82%		5,220		7.04%		509		0.69%		6,393		8.63%		73,773
	Perry		5,347		53.90%		3,237		32.63%		1,262		12.72%		75		0.76%		2,110		21.27%		9,898
	Piatt		3,274		44.17%		3,265		44.05%		818		11.04%		55		0.74%		9		0.12%		7,383
	Pike		3,604		45.32%		3,225		40.56%		1,039		13.07%		84		1.06%		379		4.76%		7,914
	Pope		915		44.55%		850		41.38%		277		13.49%		12		0.58%		65		3.17%		2,047
	Pulaski		1,524		54.16%		1,036		36.82%		235		8.35%		19		0.68%		488		17.34%		2,805
	Putnam		1,425		51.56%		987		35.71%		322		11.65%		30		1.09%		438		15.85%		2,745
	Randolph		7,419		50.65%		5,422		37.02%		1,698		11.59%		108		0.74%		1,997		13.63%		14,591
	Richland		2,679		39.31%		3,137		46.03%		927		13.60%		72		1.06%		-458		-6.72%		6,789
	Rock Island		34,822		57.13%		20,626		33.84%		5,135		8.42%		372		0.61%		14,196		23.29%		60,718
	Saline		6,156		52.77%		3,693		31.66%		1,752		15.02%		64		0.55%		2,463		21.11%		11,624
	Sangamon		38,902		44.15%		42,174		47.87%		6,446		7.32%		583		0.66%		-3,272		-3.72%		87,791
	Schuyler		1,636		43.64%		1,597		42.60%		483		12.88%		33		0.88%		39		1.04%		3,729
	Scott		1,012		39.87%		1,112		43.81%		396		15.60%		18		0.71%		-100		-3.94%		2,528
	Shelby		4,249		43.41%		4,215		43.06%		1,262		12.89%		62		0.63%		34		0.35%		9,756
	St. Clair		53,405		56.56%		33,066		35.02%		7,027		7.44%		931		0.99%		20,339		21.54%		93,908
	Stark		1,262		44.06%		1,278		44.62%		312		10.89%		12		0.42%		-16		-0.56%		2,859
	Stephenson		7,145		39.42%		8,871		48.94%		1,940		10.70%		169		0.93%		-1,726		-9.52%		18,020
	Tazewell		24,139		44.97%		24,395		45.45%		4,814		8.97%		330		0.61%		-256		-0.48%		53,448
	Union		4,252		51.34%		3,147		38.00%		832		10.05%		51		0.62%		1,105		13.34%		8,264
	Vermilion		15,525		49.55%		12,015		38.35%		3,577		11.42%		212		0.68%		3,510		11.20%		31,175
	Wabash		2,177		41.28%		2,381		45.15%		683		12.95%		33		0.63%		-204		-3.87%		5,256
	Warren		3,500		48.28%		2,974		41.02%		742		10.23%		34		0.47%		526		7.26%		7,227
	Washington		2,744		39.61%		3,339		48.20%		790		11.40%		54		0.78%		-595		-8.59%		6,902
	Wayne		3,054		37.52%		4,029		49.50%		999		12.27%		58		0.71%		-975		-11.98%		8,114
	White		3,553		48.33%		2,878		39.15%		888		12.08%		33		0.45%		675		9.18%		7,335
	Whiteside		11,913		51.03%		8,859		37.95%		2,436		10.44%		136		0.58%		3,054		13.08%		23,261
	Will		69,354		46.76%		62,506		42.15%		15,485		10.44%		959		0.65%		6,848		4.61%		147,689
	Williamson		12,510		49.50%		9,734		38.52%		2,877		11.38%		151		0.60%		2,776		10.98%		25,202
	Winnebago		46,264		46.31%		44,479		44.52%		8,192		8.20%		975		0.98%		1,785		1.79%		99,250
	Woodford		5,270		35.03%		8,527		56.68%		1,170		7.78%		76		0.51%		-3,257		-21.65%		14,997
Totals	2,341,744	54.32%	1,587,021	36.81%	346,408	8.03%	36,218	0.84%	754,723	17.51%	4,311,391

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Brown
• Clark
• Crawford
• Cumberland
• Douglas
• Edgar
• Johnson
• Monroe
• Richland
• Sangamon
• Tazewell

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Grundy
• Jo Daviess
• Lake

See also

• Presidency of Bill Clinton
• United States presidential elections in Illinois

Notes and References

1. Dave Leip's Atlas of United States Presidential Election Results 1996 Illinois Results
2. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
3. Web site: State of Illinois official vote cast at the general election .. . Illinois State Board of Elections . 6 April 2020.
4. Web site: State of Illinois official vote cast at the primary election held on ... . Illinois State Board of Elections . 6 April 2020.
5. Our Campaigns; IL US President 1996