Clinton takes popular vote by nearly 2.9 million

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than President-elect Donald Trump, giving her the largest popular vote margin of any losing presidential candidate.

Certified results in all 50 states and the District of Columbia show Clinton winning nearly 65,844,610 votes — 48 percent — to Trump’s 62,979,636 votes — 46 percent — according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

Clinton is the fifth presidential candidate in American history to win the popular vote and lose the Electoral College.

Democrat Al Gore, the only other presidential candidate this century to come up short in the Electoral College but claim a popular vote victory, received 540,000 more votes than President George W. Bush.

The vote total discrepancy between Democratic nominee Clinton and Trump has fueled arguments by some Democrats that the election process is undemocratic and an intense lobbying push to convince electors to cast their votes against Trump.

The effort failed: On Monday when electors met in state capitals, the Republican president-elect won all but two of the Electoral College votes he claimed on Election Day.

With all states voting, Trump finished with 304 votes and Clinton had 227.

To be elected president, the winner must get at least 270 electoral votes. Most states give all their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins that state’s popular vote.

Maine and Nebraska award them by congressional district.

AP’s popular vote count does not include finalized results for third-party candidates and write-in votes.

Results show Clinton winning nearly 65,844,610 votes to Trump’s 62,979,636 votes.

JEWEL SAMAD/GETTY-AFP Hillary Clinton concedes her election loss with husband, former President Bill Clinton, at her side Nov. 9 in New York.