Distribution of electoral college votes in the 1808 US presidential election

The sixth US presidential election was contested by the Democratic-Republican Party's James Madison and the Federalist Party's candidate Charles C. Pinckney (who had unsuccessfully run in the three previous elections). With 122 electoral votes to 47 (carrying twelve states to five), Madison was elected as the fourth President of the United States. Incumbent President Thomas Jefferson decided against running for a third term in office (the two term limit was not introduced until 1951), and instead endorsed his Secretary of State. Vice President George Clinton had contested the party leadership with Madison, but was defeated and instead became his running mate (although Clinton did receive six electoral votes for president; from his home state of New York). The 1808 election was the first time that a vice-president was re-elected under a different president.