Answer:
Abraham Lincoln was elected with less than half of the popular vote.
Step-by-step explanation:
The presidential election of 1860 was one of the most critical and significant elections in the history of America. This election was pivotal because of the issues related to nation strife with slavery and the rights of states becoming the forefront issues.
In this election, Abraham Lincoln was the nominee from the Republicans, pitted against John Bell (Constitutional Union Party), Senator Stephen Douglass (Democratic Party), and Southern Democratic Party's John Breckinridge. Among the four candidates, Abraham Lincoln won the race with 180 electoral votes, which was less than 40% of the popular vote.
Thus, the correct answer is the first option.