See main article: 1848 United States presidential election.
| Election Name: | 1848 United States presidential election in Massachusetts |
| Country: | Massachusetts |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1844 United States presidential election in Massachusetts |
| Previous Year: | 1844 |
| Next Election: | 1852 United States presidential election in Massachusetts |
| Next Year: | 1852 |
| Turnout: | 64.6%[1] 0.8 pp |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1848 |
| Image1: | Zachary Taylor cropped.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Zachary Taylor |
| Party1: | Whig Party (United States) |
| Home State1: | Louisiana |
| Running Mate1: | Millard Fillmore |
| Electoral Vote1: | 12 |
| Popular Vote1: | 61,072 |
| Percentage1: | 45.32% |
| Nominee2: | Martin Van Buren |
| Party2: | Free Soil Party |
| Home State2: | New York |
| Running Mate2: | Charles F. Adams |
| Electoral Vote2: | 0 |
| Popular Vote2: | 38,333 |
| Percentage2: | 28.45% |
| Image3: | Lewis Cass circa 1855.jpg |
| Nominee3: | Lewis Cass |
| Party3: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Home State3: | Michigan |
| Running Mate3: | William O. Butler |
| Electoral Vote3: | 0 |
| Popular Vote3: | 35,281 |
| Percentage3: | 26.18% |
| Map Size: | 401px |
| President | |
| Before Election: | James K. Polk |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Before Color: | FF3333 |
| After Election: | Zachary Taylor |
| After Party: | Whig Party (United States) |
| After Color: | FF3333 |
The 1848 United States presidential election in Massachusetts took place on November 7, 1848, as part of the 1848 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.
Massachusetts voted for the Whig candidate, Zachary Taylor, over Democratic candidate Lewis Cass and Free Soil candidate former president Martin Van Buren. Taylor won the state by a margin of 19.1%.
With 28.45% of the popular vote, Massachusetts would prove to by Van Buren's second strongest state in the country after neighboring Vermont.[2]
Because no candidate received 50% of the vote, the choice of electors formally reverted to the state legislature, in accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts state law of the time. Ultimately this did not change the outcome since the Whigs controlled the legislature, which duly confirmed the choice of electors pledged to the clear plurality winner. Even if the Massachusetts legislature had chosen someone else, Taylor would have still had enough electoral votes (151, five more than a bare majority) to win the presidency.