1864 United States presidential election

Background. The election took place near the end of the American Civil War. The National Union Party nominated Lincoln for a second term, despite opposition from Salmon Chase and Radical Republicans. The Democratic Party nominated McClellan, a War Democrat, but adopted a platform advocating peace with the Confederacy. The absence of Southern states from the voter pool and Union military successes in the fall of 1864 significantly impacted the political landscape.

Conventions. Lincoln was nominated at the National Union National Convention in Baltimore on June 7–8, 1864. The Democratic National Convention nominated McClellan, who rejected the party's peace platform. Andrew Johnson was chosen as Lincoln's running mate to promote national unity and secure border state electoral votes. The source article presents the party conventions in order of the parties' popular vote in the election.

Outcome. Lincoln won the election, defeating McClellan. The states in rebellion did not participate, and electoral votes from Tennessee and Louisiana were rejected. The victory was influenced by the unity of the Republicans, the division within the Democratic party, and the exclusion of the Southern base from the voter pool. McClellan's candidacy was doomed by these factors and Union military successes.