The 1968 United States presidential election in Ohio took place on November 5, 1968. All 50 states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1968 United States presidential election. Ohio voters chose 26 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Ohio was won by the Republican Party candidate, former Vice President Richard Nixon by a narrow margin of 2.28%. Nixon won the vast majority of Ohio's counties, including the major cities of Columbus, Cincinnati, Canton and Hamilton. The Democratic Party candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, kept the race close by winning the major cities of Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Dayton, Youngstown, Lorain, and Springfield.
The American Independent Party candidate, former Alabama governor George Wallace, had his best performance in the Midwestern United States, taking 11.81% of the popular vote, despite being far from his base of support in the Deep South. This was due to Ohio's presence along the borders of Kentucky and West Virginia, which are considered part of the southern United States. In the north, Wallace appealed to blue-collar workers and union members who usually voted Democratic, but who had become disgruntled with the racial violence and anti-Vietnam War protests. As a result, this split in the Democratic vote between Humphrey and Wallace was enough for Nixon to narrowly carry Ohio.
, this is the last election in which Mercer County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016 Nixon became the first ever Republican to win the White House without carrying Clark, Cuyahoga, Harrison, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, or Portage Counties, as well as the first to do so without carrying Montgomery or Tuscarawas Counties since William Howard Taft in 1908.
Campaign A United States Supreme Court case involving ballot access occurred during the election cycle in Ohio, Williams v. Rhodes. The case involved the American Independent Party along with the Socialist Labor Party; with the American Independent Party getting enough signatures but not filing its petition prior to the February 7 deadline while the Socialist Labor Party had been of the ballot since 1948 and that year in 1968 they did not collect enough signatures. Both of the parties sued the state in a US District Court arguing being kept off the ballot was in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution before later merging the cases. In the District Court it was found that both political parties must be given write-in status but the state did not have to put the candidates names on the ballot. The US Supreme Court found it violated the Equal Protection Clause in a 6-3 decision.
Results 1968 United States presidential election in OhioPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican Richard Nixon 1,791,014 45.23% 26 Democrat Hubert Humphrey 1,700,586 42.95% 0 American Independent George Wallace 467,495 11.81% 0 No party Dick Gregory (write-in) 372 0.01% 0 No party Henning A. Blomen (write-in) 120 0.00% 0 No party Fred Halstead (write-in) 69 0.00% 0 No party Charlene Mitchell (write-in) 23 0.00% 0 No party E. Harold Munn (write-in) 19 0.00% 0 Totals 3,959,698 100.00% 26 Voter turnout (Voting age) 63%
Results by county County Richard NixonRepublican Hubert HumphreyDemocratic George WallaceAmerican Independent Various candidatesWrite-ins Margin Total votescast # % # % # % # % # % Adams 3,973 51.54% 2,685 34.83% 1,049 13.61% 1 0.01% 1,288 16.71% 7,708 Allen 23,124 60.30% 10,994 28.67% 4,231 11.03% 12,130 31.63% 38,349 Ashland 9,745 62.49% 4,526 29.02% 1,323 8.48% 5,219 33.47% 15,594 Ashtabula 17,058 46.66% 16,738 45.79% 2,753 7.53% 6 0.02% 320 0.87% 36,555 Athens 7,837 47.79% 7,351 44.82% 1,207 7.36% 5 0.03% 486 2.97% 16,400 Auglaize 9,368 56.96% 5,550 33.74% 1,528 9.29% 1 0.01% 3,818 23.22% 16,447 Belmont 11,512 31.94% 22,056 61.19% 2,478 6.87% -10,544 -29.25% 36,046 Brown 4,700 44.27% 3,610 34.00% 2,307 21.73% 1,090 10.27% 10,617 Butler 35,962 48.73% 23,649 32.04% 14,188 19.22% 3 0.00% 12,313 16.69% 73,802 Carroll 4,634 52.39% 3,119 35.26% 1,092 12.34% 1 0.01% 1,515 17.13% 8,846 Champaign 6,863 53.83% 4,264 33.44% 1,621 12.71% 2 0.02% 2,599 20.39% 12,750 Clark 23,748 43.58% 24,029 44.10% 6,710 12.31% 4 0.01% -281 -0.52% 54,491 Clermont 15,299 48.04% 8,859 27.82% 7,690 24.15% 1 0.00% 6,440 20.22% 31,849 Clinton 6,265 56.56% 2,982 26.92% 1,830 16.52% 3,283 29.64% 11,077 Columbiana 19,947 46.21% 19,382 44.90% 3,832 8.88% 9 0.02% 565 1.31% 43,170 Coshocton 7,256 53.59% 5,013 37.03% 1,270 9.38% 2,243 16.56% 13,539 Crawford 11,898 56.64% 6,737 32.07% 2,373 11.30% 5,161 24.57% 21,008 Cuyahoga 238,791 35.44% 363,540 53.95% 71,360 10.59% 148 0.02% -124,749 -18.51% 673,839 Darke 10,926 53.78% 7,371 36.28% 2,015 9.92% 3 0.01% 3,555 17.50% 20,315 Defiance 7,348 52.64% 5,686 40.73% 925 6.63% 1,662 11.91% 13,959 Delaware 9,029 57.72% 4,056 25.93% 2,557 16.34% 2 0.01% 4,973 31.79% 15,644 Erie 13,023 48.50% 11,388 42.41% 2,437 9.08% 1 0.00% 1,635 6.09% 26,849 Fairfield 14,810 52.03% 9,533 33.49% 4,124 14.49% 5,277 18.54% 28,467 Fayette 5,339 51.99% 2,966 28.88% 1,962 19.11% 2 0.02% 2,373 23.11% 10,269 Franklin 148,933 51.78% 101,240 35.20% 37,390 13.00% 61 0.02% 47,693 16.58% 287,624 Fulton 7,817 64.14% 3,338 27.39% 1,033 8.48% 4,479 36.75% 12,188 Gallia 5,134 58.10% 2,660 30.10% 1,039 11.76% 3 0.03% 2,474 28.00% 8,836 Geauga 11,857 51.76% 7,825 34.16% 3,226 14.08% 4,032 17.60% 22,908 Greene 17,589 45.36% 15,178 39.14% 5,999 15.47% 9 0.02% 2,411 6.22% 38,775 Guernsey 7,336 49.44% 5,815 39.19% 1,685 11.36% 1 0.01% 1,521 10.25% 14,837 Hamilton 183,611 50.24% 135,057 36.95% 46,742 12.79% 73 0.02% 48,554 13.29% 365,483 Hancock 15,032 61.08% 6,918 28.11% 2,659 10.80% 8,114 32.97% 24,609 Hardin 6,963 53.82% 4,180 32.31% 1,794 13.87% 2,783 21.51% 12,937 Harrison 3,532 45.87% 3,594 46.68% 574 7.45% -62 -0.81% 7,700 Henry 6,970 63.21% 3,256 29.53% 799 7.25% 1 0.01% 3,714 33.68% 11,026 Highland 6,489 51.81% 3,828 30.56% 2,208 17.63% 2,661 21.25% 12,525 Hocking 3,998 45.94% 3,701 42.53% 1,003 11.53% 297 3.41% 8,702 Holmes 3,350 58.47% 1,898 33.13% 479 8.36% 2 0.03% 1,452 25.34% 5,729 Huron 9,456 53.38% 6,515 36.78% 1,741 9.83% 2 0.01% 2,941 16.60% 17,714 Jackson 5,870 53.52% 4,021 36.66% 1,077 9.82% 1,849 16.86% 10,968 Jefferson 12,949 33.53% 21,917 56.76% 3,740 9.69% 9 0.02% -8,968 -23.23% 38,615 Knox 9,072 55.01% 5,725 34.71% 1,695 10.28% 3,347 20.30% 16,492 Lake 28,450 43.40% 27,932 42.61% 9,160 13.97% 17 0.03% 518 0.79% 65,559 Lawrence 9,782 46.75% 8,671 41.44% 2,470 11.81% 1,111 5.31% 20,923 Licking 19,542 48.89% 15,021 37.58% 5,405 13.52% 2 0.01% 4,521 11.31% 39,970 Logan 8,362 56.12% 4,889 32.81% 1,647 11.05% 1 0.01% 3,473 23.31% 14,899 Lorain 34,252 39.95% 42,642 49.74% 8,825 10.29% 8 0.01% -8,390 -9.79% 85,727 Lucas 69,403 38.98% 91,346 51.31% 17,260 9.69% 28 0.02% -21,943 -12.33% 178,037 Madison 5,882 57.15% 2,780 27.01% 1,631 15.85% 3,102 30.14% 10,293 Mahoning 42,948 34.75% 68,433 55.38% 12,189 9.86% 8 0.01% -25,485 -20.63% 123,578 Marion 12,887 53.10% 8,611 35.48% 2,772 11.42% 1 0.00% 4,276 17.62% 24,271 Medina 14,089 52.31% 9,194 34.14% 3,632 13.49% 18 0.07% 4,895 18.17% 26,933 Meigs 4,759 56.29% 2,921 34.55% 774 9.15% 1 0.01% 1,838 21.74% 8,455 Mercer 6,313 44.43% 6,801 47.86% 1,095 7.71% -488 -3.43% 14,209 Miami 16,997 50.62% 13,228 39.40% 3,348 9.97% 4 0.01% 3,769 11.22% 33,577 Monroe 2,686 42.27% 3,105 48.87% 562 8.84% 1 0.02% -419 -6.60% 6,354 Montgomery 84,766 40.93% 96,082 46.39% 26,232 12.67% 40 0.02% -11,316 -5.46% 207,120 Morgan 3,030 57.51% 1,789 33.95% 450 8.54% 1,241 23.56% 5,269 Morrow 4,898 55.58% 2,405 27.29% 1,509 17.12% 2,493 28.29% 8,812 Muskingum 15,260 48.13% 13,089 41.28% 3,356 10.59% 2,171 6.85% 31,705 Noble 2,615 53.06% 1,726 35.02% 587 11.91% 889 18.04% 4,928 Ottawa 7,149 47.30% 6,319 41.81% 1,647 10.90% 830 5.49% 15,115 Paulding 4,074 53.01% 2,703 35.17% 908 11.82% 1,371 17.84% 7,685 Perry 4,815 44.96% 4,811 44.92% 1,084 10.12% 4 0.04% 10,710 Pickaway 6,690 53.25% 3,536 28.14% 2,335 18.58% 3 0.02% 3,154 25.11% 12,564 Pike 3,247 40.01% 3,445 42.45% 1,423 17.54% -198 -2.44% 8,115 Portage 15,064 41.27% 16,348 44.78% 5,093 13.95% -1,284 -3.51% 36,505 Preble 6,544 52.63% 3,817 30.70% 2,073 16.67% 2,727 21.93% 12,434 Putnam 7,188 59.38% 3,530 29.16% 1,387 11.46% 3,658 30.22% 12,105 Richland 23,484 53.63% 14,988 34.23% 5,311 12.13% 4 0.01% 8,496 19.40% 43,787 Ross 11,284 50.72% 6,873 30.90% 4,087 18.37% 2 0.01% 4,411 19.82% 22,246 Sandusky 11,696 53.10% 8,581 38.96% 1,745 7.92% 3 0.01% 3,115 14.14% 22,025 Scioto 15,310 47.37% 13,836 42.81% 3,171 9.81% 1,474 4.56% 32,317 Seneca 12,040 52.30% 8,970 38.97% 2,010 8.73% 3,070 13.33% 23,020 Shelby 7,248 47.60% 6,479 42.55% 1,499 9.85% 769 5.05% 15,226 Stark 68,414 47.88% 57,675 40.36% 16,775 11.74% 24 0.02% 10,739 7.52% 142,888 Summit 82,649 39.56% 100,068 47.89% 26,157 12.52% 67 0.03% -17,419 -8.33% 208,941 Trumbull 33,076 39.97% 40,365 48.77% 9,314 11.25% 5 0.01% -7,289 -8.80% 82,760 Tuscarawas 14,102 43.44% 15,617 48.11% 2,741 8.44% 1 0.00% -1,515 -4.67% 32,461 Union 6,415 62.66% 2,431 23.74% 1,392 13.60% 3,984 38.92% 10,238 Van Wert 7,835 57.92% 4,360 32.23% 1,332 9.85% 3,475 25.69% 13,527 Vinton 2,219 52.31% 1,608 37.91% 414 9.76% 1 0.02% 611 14.40% 4,242 Warren 12,663 48.68% 6,756 25.97% 6,595 25.35% 5,907 22.71% 26,014 Washington 11,888 58.25% 6,922 33.92% 1,597 7.83% 1 0.00% 4,966 24.33% 20,408 Wayne 15,151 58.34% 8,891 34.24% 1,924 7.41% 4 0.02% 6,260 24.10% 25,970 Williams 8,059 59.76% 4,456 33.04% 970 7.19% 3,603 26.72% 13,485 Wood 16,111 53.81% 10,867 36.30% 2,952 9.86% 9 0.03% 5,244 17.51% 29,939 Wyandot 5,265 57.90% 2,919 32.10% 910 10.01% 2,346 25.80% 9,094Totals1,791,01445.23%1,700,58642.95%467,49511.81%6030.02%90,4282.28%3,959,698
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Adams Ashland Ashtabula Athens Auglaize Brown Butler Carroll Champaign Clermont Clinton Columbiana Coshocton Crawford Darke Defiance Erie Fairfield Fayette Franklin Gallia Geauga Greene Guernsey Hamilton Hardin Henry Highland Hocking Holmes Huron Jackson Knox Lake Lawrence Licking Logan Madison Marion Medina Meigs Miami Morgan Morrow Muskingum Noble Ottawa Paulding Perry Pickaway Preble Putnam Richland Ross Sandusky Scioto Seneca Shelby Stark Van Wert Vinton Warren Washington Wayne Williams Wood Wyandot
See also United States presidential elections in Ohio
Notes
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