In the election 1824, Jackson got the most electoral votes: 99. But he needed 130 to win a majority. The secretary of state, John Quincy Adams, was second. Treasury Secretary William Crawford was third. In order to be elected president, the winning candidate had to win the votes of a majority of electors; should no individual win a majority, the House of Representatives would hold a second election. Adams was elected president with 71 electoral votes, one more than was needed for a majority.
