The question arises as to how many times a candidate has been on the Presidential ballot in American history, and how many total popular votes any President has received historically.
The all time record for times on the Presidential ticket, either for President or Vice President, is shared by:
Franklin D. Roosevelt–five times–1920, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944
Richard Nixon–five times—1952, 1956, 1960, 1968, 1972.
John Adams was on the ballot four times–1789, 1792, 1796, 1800.
Martin Van Buren was also on the ballot four times—1832, 1836, 1840, 1848.
George H. W. Bush was also on the ballot four times–1980, 1984, 1988, 1992.
Others who have been on the ballot three times include:
Thomas Jefferson–1796, 1800, 1804
Andrew Jackson–1824, 1828, 1832
Grover Cleveland–1884, 1888, 1892
Theodore Roosevelt–1900, 1904, 1912
Additionally, several Presidential nominees who lost were on the ballot multiple times:
Henry Clay—1824, 1832, 1844
William Jennings Bryan–1896, 1900, 1908
And which President had the MOST popular votes in total for all of the elections that he was on the ballot for either President or Vice President?
One would assume Franklin D. Roosevelt or Richard Nixon, who were on the ballot more times than anyone.
Realizing there was no counted popular vote for John Adams, and a small population for Martin Van Buren’s time, the only other candidate for the most total popular votes, of these three people who were on the ballot four times, would be George H. W. Bush.
So which one of these choices—FDR, Nixon or Bush I has the distinction of the most total popular votes in American history?
The answer is, surprisingly to many, George H. W. Bush who benefited from the massive reelection victory of Ronald Reagan in 1984, followed by Nixon and FDR, realizing far fewer people were voting in the time of FDR, and more so for Nixon, but fewer in his time than in the 1980s and early 1990s, when Bush was running for national office.
So the totals for Bush were, in round numbers, a total of 192 million popular votes in two elections where he ran for Vice President, and two for President.
Richard Nixon was next, with 182 million popular votes in two elections where he ran for Vice President, and three for President.
And finally, Franklin D. Roosevelt is third, with 112 million popular votes in one election where he ran for Vice President, and four for President.