0 0 221,633 66,461 33.3% 10.0% | 361,911 221,633 54.4% 33.3% Start date November 5, 1996 | |
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The 1996 United States presidential election in Utah took place on November 7, 1996 as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 5 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.
Utah was won by Republican nominee Bob Dole by a 21.1% margin of victory. This was Dole's highest margin of victory for any state in the country. Dole also obtained 54.4% of the vote in Utah, higher than any other state.
Electors
Technically the voters of Utah cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Utah is allocated 5 electors because it has 3 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 5 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 5 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for President and Vice President. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met in December 1996 to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
All electors from Utah were pledged to and voted for Bob Dole and Jack Kemp.