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| Turnout | 81.44% (of registered voters) 1.92pp78.32% (of eligible voters)  7.76pp[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County Results
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The1940 United States presidential election in California took place on November 5, 1940, as part of the1940 United States presidential election. State voters chose 22 representatives, or electors, to theElectoral College, whovoted forpresident andvice president.
California voted for theDemocratic incumbent,Franklin Roosevelt, over theRepublican challenger, businessmanWendell Willkie.
Willkie did nonetheless make considerable gains vis-à-vis the previous Republican nominee,Alf Landon, who remains the solitary Republican nominee tonot carry a single county in the state. Willkie carried seven counties scattered across the state and gained ten percentage points on Landon's performance.
This is the last election where the Democrats wonSutter County, which, as of the2024 presidential election,[2] stands as the longest run voting for one party by any California county.[3]Mono County would not vote Democratic again untilJohn Kerry in2004.[4]
| 1940 United States presidential election in California[5] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Franklin D. Roosevelt (incumbent) | 1,877,618 | 57.44% | 22 | |
| Republican | Wendell Willkie | 1,351,419 | 41.34% | 0 | |
| Progressive[a] | Norman Thomas | 16,506 | 0.50% | 0 | |
| Communist | Earl Russell Browder | 13,586 | 0.42% | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Roger Babson | 9,400 | 0.29% | 0 | |
| No party | Write-ins | 262 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Invalid or blank votes | — | ||||
| Totals | 3,268,791 | 100.00% | 22 | ||
| Voter turnout | — | ||||
| County | Franklin D. Roosevelt Democratic | Wendell Willkie Republican | Norman Thomas Progressive | Earl Browder Communist | Roger Babson Prohibition | Scattering Write-in | Margin | Total votes cast[5] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alameda | 148,224 | 55.21% | 116,961 | 43.56% | 1,618 | 0.60% | 1,285 | 0.48% | 408 | 0.15% | 0 | 0.00% | 31,263 | 11.64% | 268,496 |
| Alpine | 62 | 32.98% | 125 | 66.49% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.53% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -63 | -33.51% | 188 |
| Amador | 2,762 | 66.14% | 1,372 | 32.85% | 15 | 0.36% | 9 | 0.22% | 18 | 0.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,390 | 33.29% | 4,176 |
| Butte | 10,684 | 58.15% | 7,433 | 40.46% | 117 | 0.64% | 77 | 0.42% | 61 | 0.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,251 | 17.70% | 18,372 |
| Calaveras | 2,405 | 58.90% | 1,649 | 40.39% | 21 | 0.51% | 4 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 756 | 18.52% | 4,083 |
| Colusa | 2,655 | 59.48% | 1,774 | 39.74% | 15 | 0.34% | 5 | 0.11% | 15 | 0.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 881 | 19.74% | 4,464 |
| Contra Costa | 30,900 | 61.75% | 18,627 | 37.22% | 238 | 0.48% | 209 | 0.42% | 63 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.01% | 12,273 | 24.53% | 50,040 |
| Del Norte | 1,034 | 44.92% | 1,233 | 53.56% | 26 | 1.13% | 5 | 0.22% | 4 | 0.17% | 0 | 0.00% | -199 | -8.64% | 2,302 |
| El Dorado | 4,144 | 66.44% | 2,019 | 32.37% | 37 | 0.59% | 15 | 0.24% | 22 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,125 | 34.07% | 6,237 |
| Fresno | 48,866 | 69.07% | 21,079 | 29.79% | 354 | 0.50% | 143 | 0.20% | 308 | 0.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 27,787 | 39.27% | 70,750 |
| Glenn | 3,095 | 54.96% | 2,473 | 43.92% | 31 | 0.55% | 2 | 0.04% | 30 | 0.53% | 0 | 0.00% | 622 | 11.05% | 5,631 |
| Humboldt | 12,329 | 55.98% | 9,470 | 43.00% | 92 | 0.42% | 78 | 0.35% | 55 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,859 | 12.98% | 22,024 |
| Imperial | 7,728 | 52.53% | 6,854 | 46.59% | 64 | 0.44% | 25 | 0.17% | 41 | 0.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 874 | 5.94% | 14,712 |
| Inyo | 1,820 | 54.65% | 1,483 | 44.53% | 12 | 0.36% | 3 | 0.09% | 12 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 337 | 10.12% | 3,330 |
| Kern | 32,202 | 61.78% | 19,445 | 37.30% | 219 | 0.42% | 106 | 0.20% | 154 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 12,757 | 24.47% | 52,126 |
| Kings | 8,307 | 67.43% | 3,911 | 31.75% | 41 | 0.33% | 9 | 0.07% | 52 | 0.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,396 | 35.68% | 12,320 |
| Lake | 1,897 | 45.70% | 2,215 | 53.36% | 23 | 0.55% | 5 | 0.12% | 11 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | -318 | -7.66% | 4,151 |
| Lassen | 4,367 | 69.17% | 1,902 | 30.13% | 20 | 0.32% | 11 | 0.17% | 13 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,465 | 39.05% | 6,313 |
| Los Angeles | 822,718 | 58.13% | 574,266 | 40.58% | 6,971 | 0.49% | 6,914 | 0.49% | 4,151 | 0.29% | 249 | 0.02% | 248,452 | 17.56% | 1,415,269 |
| Madera | 5,749 | 67.61% | 2,653 | 31.20% | 32 | 0.38% | 35 | 0.41% | 34 | 0.40% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,096 | 36.41% | 8,503 |
| Marin | 11,365 | 50.20% | 10,974 | 48.47% | 151 | 0.67% | 130 | 0.57% | 20 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 391 | 1.73% | 22,640 |
| Mariposa | 1,935 | 64.44% | 1,035 | 34.47% | 13 | 0.43% | 11 | 0.37% | 9 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 900 | 29.97% | 3,003 |
| Mendocino | 7,055 | 56.13% | 5,345 | 42.53% | 70 | 0.56% | 66 | 0.53% | 33 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,710 | 13.60% | 12,569 |
| Merced | 10,501 | 62.57% | 6,101 | 36.35% | 84 | 0.50% | 27 | 0.16% | 71 | 0.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,400 | 26.22% | 16,784 |
| Modoc | 2,232 | 61.49% | 1,371 | 37.77% | 14 | 0.39% | 4 | 0.11% | 6 | 0.17% | 3 | 0.08% | 861 | 23.72% | 3,630 |
| Mono | 523 | 52.56% | 459 | 46.13% | 2 | 0.20% | 5 | 0.50% | 6 | 0.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 64 | 6.43% | 995 |
| Monterey | 14,758 | 55.00% | 11,810 | 44.01% | 120 | 0.45% | 76 | 0.28% | 69 | 0.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,948 | 10.99% | 26,833 |
| Napa | 6,771 | 52.68% | 5,924 | 46.09% | 60 | 0.47% | 34 | 0.26% | 64 | 0.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 847 | 6.59% | 12,853 |
| Nevada | 5,782 | 66.01% | 2,863 | 32.69% | 57 | 0.65% | 27 | 0.31% | 30 | 0.34% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,919 | 33.33% | 8,759 |
| Orange | 28,236 | 43.44% | 36,070 | 55.49% | 255 | 0.39% | 82 | 0.13% | 354 | 0.54% | 0 | 0.00% | -7,834 | -12.05% | 64,997 |
| Placer | 8,402 | 67.56% | 3,887 | 31.26% | 73 | 0.59% | 35 | 0.28% | 39 | 0.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,515 | 36.31% | 12,436 |
| Plumas | 3,418 | 72.11% | 1,270 | 26.79% | 34 | 0.72% | 10 | 0.21% | 8 | 0.17% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,148 | 45.32% | 4,740 |
| Riverside | 20,003 | 47.20% | 21,779 | 51.39% | 197 | 0.46% | 56 | 0.13% | 345 | 0.81% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,776 | -4.19% | 42,380 |
| Sacramento | 51,351 | 68.09% | 23,201 | 30.76% | 452 | 0.60% | 225 | 0.30% | 187 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 28,150 | 37.33% | 75,416 |
| San Benito | 2,441 | 49.99% | 2,407 | 49.29% | 17 | 0.35% | 11 | 0.23% | 7 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 34 | 0.70% | 4,883 |
| San Bernardino | 37,520 | 54.47% | 30,511 | 44.30% | 320 | 0.46% | 138 | 0.20% | 389 | 0.56% | 0 | 0.00% | 7,009 | 10.18% | 68,878 |
| San Diego | 71,188 | 55.57% | 55,434 | 43.27% | 684 | 0.53% | 348 | 0.27% | 456 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 15,754 | 12.30% | 128,110 |
| San Francisco | 185,607 | 59.51% | 122,449 | 39.26% | 1,513 | 0.49% | 1,935 | 0.62% | 374 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 63,158 | 20.25% | 311,878 |
| San Joaquin | 26,536 | 52.55% | 23,403 | 46.34% | 239 | 0.47% | 141 | 0.28% | 179 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,133 | 6.20% | 50,498 |
| San Luis Obispo | 8,499 | 53.39% | 7,204 | 45.25% | 79 | 0.50% | 67 | 0.42% | 71 | 0.45% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,295 | 8.13% | 15,920 |
| San Mateo | 29,831 | 52.38% | 26,539 | 46.60% | 290 | 0.51% | 211 | 0.37% | 80 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,292 | 5.78% | 56,951 |
| Santa Barbara | 17,237 | 54.41% | 14,107 | 44.53% | 182 | 0.57% | 91 | 0.29% | 61 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,130 | 9.88% | 31,678 |
| Santa Clara | 40,449 | 49.63% | 40,100 | 49.20% | 458 | 0.56% | 294 | 0.36% | 195 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 349 | 0.43% | 81,496 |
| Santa Cruz | 10,683 | 47.51% | 11,453 | 50.93% | 175 | 0.78% | 71 | 0.32% | 104 | 0.46% | 0 | 0.00% | -770 | -3.42% | 22,486 |
| Shasta | 8,662 | 68.03% | 3,909 | 30.70% | 66 | 0.52% | 71 | 0.56% | 25 | 0.20% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,753 | 37.33% | 12,733 |
| Sierra | 1,057 | 66.98% | 511 | 32.38% | 7 | 0.44% | 2 | 0.13% | 1 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 546 | 34.60% | 1,578 |
| Siskiyou | 7,714 | 63.17% | 4,387 | 35.92% | 56 | 0.46% | 18 | 0.15% | 36 | 0.29% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,327 | 27.24% | 12,212 |
| Solano | 15,054 | 70.58% | 6,081 | 28.51% | 83 | 0.39% | 53 | 0.25% | 57 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 8,973 | 42.07% | 21,328 |
| Sonoma | 15,230 | 47.04% | 16,819 | 51.94% | 145 | 0.45% | 119 | 0.37% | 60 | 0.19% | 6 | 0.02% | -1,589 | -4.91% | 32,379 |
| Stanislaus | 16,494 | 51.96% | 14,803 | 46.63% | 155 | 0.49% | 58 | 0.18% | 236 | 0.74% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,691 | 5.33% | 31,746 |
| Sutter | 4,195 | 57.11% | 3,089 | 42.06% | 26 | 0.35% | 15 | 0.20% | 20 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,106 | 15.06% | 7,345 |
| Tehama | 3,618 | 54.59% | 2,913 | 43.95% | 53 | 0.80% | 13 | 0.20% | 31 | 0.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 705 | 10.64% | 6,628 |
| Trinity | 1,431 | 63.83% | 780 | 34.79% | 12 | 0.54% | 15 | 0.67% | 4 | 0.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 651 | 29.04% | 2,242 |
| Tulare | 20,129 | 55.96% | 15,414 | 42.85% | 209 | 0.58% | 41 | 0.11% | 178 | 0.49% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,715 | 13.11% | 35,971 |
| Tuolumne | 3,541 | 62.96% | 2,004 | 35.63% | 27 | 0.48% | 29 | 0.52% | 23 | 0.41% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,537 | 27.33% | 5,624 |
| Ventura | 15,182 | 57.00% | 11,225 | 42.15% | 84 | 0.32% | 64 | 0.24% | 79 | 0.30% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,957 | 14.86% | 26,634 |
| Yolo | 6,380 | 58.78% | 4,373 | 40.29% | 63 | 0.58% | 19 | 0.18% | 19 | 0.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,007 | 18.49% | 10,854 |
| Yuba | 4,660 | 64.57% | 2,471 | 34.24% | 35 | 0.48% | 33 | 0.46% | 18 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,189 | 30.33% | 7,217 |
| Total | 1,877,618 | 57.44% | 1,351,419 | 41.34% | 16,506 | 0.50% | 13,586 | 0.42% | 9,400 | 0.29% | 262 | 0.01% | 526,199 | 16.10% | 3,268,791 |
Up through1936, voters in California chose presidential electors directly. Starting in 1940, however, California adopted the modern "short ballot" where voters select from the actual candidates' names and each vote is treated as being for a candidate and his or her party's entire slate of electors. The individuals below were nominated by each party to serve as the state's members of the 1940 Electoral College should their party's ticket win the state:[5]
| Franklin D. Roosevelt &Henry A. Wallace Democratic Party | Wendell Willkie &Charles L. McNary Republican Party | Norman Thomas &Maynard Krueger Progressive Party | Earl Browder &James W. Ford Communist Party | Roger Babson & Edgar V. Moorman Prohibition Party |
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State and district results of the1940 United States presidential election | ||
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