Election years are a fascinating topic for riddles and trivia. With presidential elections occurring every 4 years in the United States, there is a lot of interesting information surrounding these important years in American history. From fun facts about past elections to brain teasers about the election process, election year riddles engage the mind and reveal intriguing details. Read on for 87 riddles about election years that will test your knowledge!
General Election Year Riddles
Riddle 1
Q: What election year is referred to as the “Corrupt Bargain”?
A: 1824
Riddle 2
Q: In what election year did the television debate between presidential candidates first take place?
A: 1960
Riddle 3
Q: Which election year was the first time a presidential candidate campaigned by train?
A: 1836
Riddle 4
Q: During which election year did the 19th Amendment grant women the right to vote nationwide?
A: 1920
Riddle 5
Q: In what election year was the first televised presidential debate held?
A: 1960
Riddle 6
Q: Which election year was the first time presidential candidates were referred to as nominees?
A: 1832
Riddle 7
Q: What election year was the first time candidates campaigned directly to voters?
A: 1828
Riddle 8
Q: In what election year did voter turnout reach its highest point in American history?
A: 1876
Riddle 9
Q: During which election year did candidates first start using campaign merchandise like buttons and banners?
A: 1840
Riddle 10
Q: What election year was the first time both major party candidates used airplanes to campaign?
A: 1932
Riddle 11
Q: In what election year was the secret ballot first adopted nationwide?
A: 1892
Riddle 12
Q: Which election year saw the first organized torchlight parades?
A: 1840
Riddle 13
Q: During what election year were electric lights first used in conventions and parades?
A: 1892
Riddle 14
Q: In what election year did the custom of candidates accepting their nominations with speeches first emerge?
A: 1832
Riddle 15
Q: What election year first made use of sample ballots distributed by political parties?
A: 1840
Riddle 16
Q: Which election year saw the first national conventions of the Democratic and Whig parties?
A: 1832
Riddle 17
Q: During what election year did candidates start holding rallies and making speeches in favor of themselves?
A: 1824
Riddle 18
Q: In what election year were presidential electors first chosen on a single day across the country?
A: 1848
Riddle 19
Q: What election year first had candidates use biographical pamphlets as campaign literature?
A: 1824
Riddle 20
Q: Which election year inaugurated the use of national conventions to nominate candidates?
A: 1832
Riddle 21
Q: During what election year did the Democratic Party first hold a national convention?
A: 1832
Riddle 22
Q: In what election year were straw polls first taken to test the preferences of potential voters?
A: 1824
Riddle 23
Q: What election year saw the first telegraphic transmission of election results from Washington to New York?
A: 1844
Riddle 24
Q: Which election year had candidates as guests on radio talk shows for the first time?
A: 1924
19th Century Elections
Riddle 25
Q: In what election year did Grover Cleveland win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote to Benjamin Harrison?
A: 1888
Riddle 26
Q: Which election year was the first time a presidential telephone call was placed?
A: 1876
Riddle 27
Q: During what election year did Samuel Tilden win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote to Rutherford B. Hayes?
A: 1876
Riddle 28
Q: In what election year did James Garfield win the popular vote by less than 10,000 votes?
A: 1880
Riddle 29
Q: What election year saw a controversy over 20 electoral votes from 4 states ultimately decided by Congress?
A: 1876
Riddle 30
Q: Which election year featured Grover Cleveland winning the presidency for the second time, becoming the only president to serve non-consecutive terms?
A: 1892
Riddle 31
Q: During what election year was Benjamin Harrison defeated in his re-election bid by Grover Cleveland?
A: 1892
Riddle 32
Q: In what election year did Rutherford B. Hayes overcome initial results showing Samuel Tilden winning to become president?
A: 1876
Riddle 33
Q: What election year included the first use of the Australian ballot, listing all candidates on the same ticket?
A: 1888
Riddle 34
Q: Which election year saw Grover Cleveland win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote to Benjamin Harrison?
A: 1888
Riddle 35
Q: During what election year did Benjamin Harrison unseat incumbent president Grover Cleveland?
A: 1888
Riddle 36
Q: In what election year did the Republican Party try to distance itself from the scandal-plagued Grant administration?
A: 1876
Riddle 37
Q: What election year focused voter attention on political corruption and civil service reform?
A: 1884
Riddle 38
Q: Which election year saw the Democratic and Republican parties focused on tariff policy?
A: 1892
Riddle 39
Q: During what election year did James Garfield win the popular vote by less than 10,000 votes?
A: 1880
Riddle 40
Q: In what election year did Grover Cleveland defeat James G. Blaine in a close race?
A: 1884
20th Century Elections
Riddle 41
Q: What election year was the first time a recorded voice was used in campaign ads on the radio?
A: 1924
Riddle 42
Q: Which election year saw the first woman run for president?
A: 1872
Riddle 43
Q: During what election year did Lyndon B. Johnson win in a landslide over Barry Goldwater?
A: 1964
Riddle 44
Q: In what election year did Richard Nixon defeat George McGovern in every state except Massachusetts?
A: 1972
Riddle 45
Q: What election year featured Ronald Reagan defeating Jimmy Carter in a Republican landslide?
A: 1980
Riddle 46
Q: Which election year saw John F. Kennedy win by one of the narrowest margins in history over Richard Nixon?
A: 1960
Riddle 47
Q: During what election year did Franklin D. Roosevelt defeat Herbert Hoover in a landslide?
A: 1932
Riddle 48
Q: In what election year did Warren G. Harding coin the phrase “return to normalcy”?
A: 1920
Riddle 49
Q: What election year saw William McKinley defeat William Jennings Bryan over the silver standard for currency?
A: 1896
Riddle 50
Q: Which election year featured William Howard Taft defeating William Jennings Bryan?
A: 1908
Riddle 51
Q: During what election year did Woodrow Wilson create the Federal Reserve?
A: 1912
Riddle 52
Q: In what election year did Theodore Roosevelt run again as the Bull Moose candidate?
A: 1912
Riddle 53
Q: What election year saw the contested results between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden?
A: 1876
Riddle 54
Q: Which election year included the first presidential election after the ratification of the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms?
A: 1952
Riddle 55
Q: During what election year did Franklin D. Roosevelt break tradition and run for a third presidential term?
A: 1940
Riddle 56
Q: In what election year did Harry Truman pull off an upset victory over Thomas Dewey?
A: 1948
Riddle 57
Q: What election year saw the beginning of the modern primary system for nominating candidates?
A: 1912
Riddle 58
Q: Which election year included the first time all citizens regardless of race or gender could vote?
A: 1920
Riddle 59
Q: During what election year was William McKinley assassinated, leading to Theodore Roosevelt becoming president?
A: 1900
Riddle 60
Q: In what election year did William Howard Taft defeat William Jennings Bryan?
A: 1908
21st Century Elections
Riddle 61
Q: What election year saw George W. Bush win the electoral vote but lose the popular vote to Al Gore?
A: 2000
Riddle 62
Q: Which election year featured the first African American elected president, Barack Obama?
A: 2008
Riddle 63
Q: During what election year did Barack Obama win reelection against Mitt Romney?
A: 2012
Riddle 64
Q: In what election year did George W. Bush defeat John Kerry largely over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?
A: 2004
Riddle 65
Q: What election year saw the contested “hanging chad” ballots in Florida between Al Gore and George W. Bush?
A: 2000
Riddle 66
Q: Which election year featured the first female major party vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin?
A: 2008
Riddle 67
Q: During what election year did Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote?
A: 2016
Riddle 68
Q: In what election year was Kamala Harris elected as the first female and African American vice president?
A: 2020
Riddle 69
Q: What election year saw the oldest person elected president, Joe Biden?
A: 2020
Riddle 70
Q: Which election year had the highest voter turnout since 1900?
A: 2020
Riddle 71
Q: During what election year did Joe Biden unseat incumbent Donald Trump?
A: 2020
Riddle 72
Q: In what election year were memes widely used for the first time in online political activism and campaigning?
A: 2016
Riddle 73
Q: What election year saw the first virtual national political conventions due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: 2020
Riddle 74
Q: Which election year featured the most expensive presidential campaign ever between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney?
A: 2012
Riddle 75
Q: During what election year did Hillary Clinton become the first female presidential nominee of a major party?
A: 2016
Election Processes and Traditions
Riddle 76
Q: What inaugurates the start of primary season?
A: The Iowa caucus
Riddle 77
Q: Which states hold the first presidential primaries?
A: Iowa and New Hampshire
Riddle 78
Q: What event leads to the naming of each party’s presidential ticket?
A: The national conventions
Riddle 79
Q: When does the electoral college officially cast their votes for president?
A: Mid-December
Riddle 80
Q: What event happens every 4 years on the steps of the Capitol in January?
A: The presidential inauguration
Riddle 81
Q: Which constitutional amendment set the terms of the president and vice president at 4 years?
A: The 22nd Amendment
Riddle 82
Q: What voting tradition began in New Hampshire in 1952?
A: Midnight voting
Riddle 83
Q: When was Election Day established as the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November?
A: 1845
Riddle 84
Q: Which amendment extended voting rights to African Americans?
A: The 15th Amendment
Riddle 85
Q: What does the acronym EVC stand for relating to voting?
A: Early voting center
Riddle 86
Q: When did the SOE acronym first refer to supervisor of elections?
A: The late 1800s
Riddle 87
Q: Which constitutional article establishes the executive branch and the election process?
A: Article II
Conclusion
Election years throughout American history have been filled with intriguing trivia, innovations, and pivotal moments that shaped the nation. As this collection of 87 riddles illustrates, elections continue to evolve and engage citizens in the democratic process. From voting rights to campaign inventions, the riddles highlight fun facts and test knowledge of all aspects of presidential politics. Understanding past election years provides context and new perspectives on the current state of elections. So study up on the riddles and amaze your friends with your mastery of presidential trivia!
