George Washington and the Electoral College

1789.
All the rules for the first election were put in place by the Continental Congress still sitting under the Articles of Confederation. Aside: I find it interesting that the Articles are never mentioned in the new Constitution.

The First Electoral College. The 1787 Constitution provided it would become effective ONLY between the ratifying states on the approval of 9 states. The first election was held BEFORE North Carolina and Rhode Island ratified the Constitution. New York had ratified but it failed to choose its electors in time for the election. Those 3 states did not vote in the first presidential election. It was anticipated the first election would be held in 1788 but unforseen delays put it over to 1789. The first terms in office were shortened so the even year electoral cycle would be in place.

Ten states did vote. MD, PA, DE, MA, NH and VA chose their electors by popular vote. NY, NJ, CT and GA electors were chosen by state legislatures. SC used a combination method. When it came time to cast their electoral votes, two electors from Maryland did not vote. One elector from VA did not vote. Another elector from VA was not chosen because his district failed to submit its votes. If you are counting this may help to partially explain the discrepancy in the votes cast (69) versus the vote potential (71). See US Con Art 1, Sec 2.

It is telling that only 45,900 votes were cast in the first election. 1.9% of the total population (from the 1790 census) of 2,400,000 free (whites) and 600,000 slave (blacks). Democracy? Majority rule? Was the new US Con a pro-slavery document? The 3/5ths rule amounted to 360,000 EXTRA “people counted” over the free people in non-slave states. This gave the slave state’s up to 12 more representatives out of the 65 in the new House and that many more electoral votes.

In the Senate, where all states got EQUAL representation, the south or slave states of GA, SC, NC, VA, MD and DE held 12 seats out of 26. Enough to block any proposed amendments, impeachments or treaties, which require a 2/3rds approving vote. The first Senate also adopted the 2/3rds vote rule for cloture - shutting off debate - thus establishing the long standing Senate filibuster so useful to anti-progressive forces in American politics. AND sometimes used by progressive forces to block regressive laws or appointments. Note 1: The 2/3rds rule was changed to 3/5ths in 1965. Note 2: Slavery was legal in NJ, NY, CT and RI, but none of their economies depended on the institution of slavery. PA, MA and NH had abolished slavery.

The original electoral college - it also is not named in the Con - allotted TWO votes to each elector. The US Con provided the person getting the most votes would be president and the next highest vote getter would be the vice president. It was not spelled out in the Con how the mechanics of voting and counting would occur.

In 1789, 69 votes were cast for George Washington. That being the first vote of all the electors. Unanimous for Washington. The second vote was cast among twelve other men. John Adams got the most votes and became vice president. John Jay, Robert Harrison, John Rutledge, John Hancock, George Clinton, Samuel Huntington and John Milton, each received more than 1 vote. James Armstrong, Benjamin Lincoln and Edward Telfair all received 1 vote. Aside: Kentucky became a state in 1792. It was divided into 3 counties. Jefferson, Fayette (for LaFayette) and Lincoln. I was rather old before I learned Ky’s Lincoln county was not named for Abraham Lincoln - born in what is now LaRue County - but for Revolutionary War hero General Benjamin Lincoln.

The electoral college worked OK until the 1800 election. The new Democratic-Republican Party founded by Thomas Jefferson failed to “throw away” one of its electoral votes for Aaron Burr who was intended to be vice president. The unforeseen outcome was Burr tied with Jefferson throwing the election into the House. Burr decided he would be the better choice for president. He would not relinquish the tie vote and found easy collaboration with the Federalists in the lame duck House who were to decide the outcome.

In 1801, there were 16 states, VT, KY and TN having joined the Union. States cast a unitary vote in the House on this issue. It would take 9 state votes to elect the president. Weeks passed. Finally, on the 36th ballot the House choose Jefferson to be the THIRD president of the United States. Alexander Hamilton, an avowed opponent of Jefferson, decided Jefferson was a better choice than Burr. Sort of a lesser evil. He persuaded New York to switch from Burr to Jefferson, ending the longest dispute in our country’s presidential electoral history. Hamilton’s generous act foreshadowed the 1804 Burr Hamilton duel in which Burr shot and killed Hamilton.

All numbers are from Wikipedia.

[edit on 10/1/2007 by donwhite]