Explanatory Paragraphs to Presidential Elections.

1789. Rhode Island with three votes and North Carolina with seven votes had not ratified the Constitution (see page 96). New York lost eight votes (see page 268); Maryland and Virginia had each two electors absent. For Electoral Vote for first President, see page 268.

1793. 2 The Vice-President opened and read the certificates, tellers verifying and tabulating the returns, the exclusive power

of the Vice-President being exercised.

1797. A joint committee to count the electoral votes inaugurated; Adams presided, opened and read the certificates, declaring himself elected President; 70 votes a majority, 71 votes cast for Adams.

1801.

Nineteen

One Maryland elector absent. Electors of both parties, with
the exception of one Rhode Island elector (who cast his vote
for Jay instead of Pinckney), voted equally for both candi-
dates. Jefferson and Burr received each 73 votes, devolving
the choice upon the House of Representatives.
ballots taken by the House on February 11, nine on the 12th,
one on the 13th, one on the 14th, and one on the 15th; the
thirty-sixth ballot on February 17 resulting in the choice of
Jefferson as President, who received 55 votes as against 49
for Burr.

The Federalists declined to vote (except those from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut), which action gave to Jefferson Vermont and Maryland, divided Delaware and South Carolina, and left Burr the four New England States, as shown in the table above. See “1825."

1805. The Vice-President did not count the electoral vote. 1809. One Kentucky elector absent.

1813. 1817.

7 One Ohio elector absent.

8 Three Federalist electors of Maryland and one of Delaware
absent. Indiana, which adopted a Constitution in June, and
was admitted as a State December 11, 1816, with three
electoral votes; question of rejection raised on the ground
that Indiana, until admitted by formal act of Congress, was
not a State for the purpose of the election, after adoption of
a Constitution. By unanimous vote, matter indefinitely
postponed, and her electoral votes admitted. See "Mis-
souri,'
"" 1821."

1821. • Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Tennessee, each had one electorship vacant, owing to the death of the member between appointment and the meetings of the electors.

A contention on the three electoral votes of Missouri took place, which State had adopted a Constitution in July, 1820, but had not been proclaimed a State until August 10, 1821, not having fulfilled conditions exacted of it by Congress as a prerequisite to admission; that in the case of Indiana (see "1817"), although not fully admitted as a State at the time the electors voted, she was a State in full standing when the electoral votes were counted; whereas with Missouri there was not even a pledge that its legislature would accept the Congressional conditions exacted. A joint committee of Congress appointed to ascertain and report a mode of examining votes, as heretofore the custom; the Committee reported an additional resolution to former procedure:

Resolved, That if any objection be made to the votes of Missouri, and the counting, or omitting to count, which shall not essentially change the result of the election, in that case they should be reported by the President of the Senate in the following manner: Were the votes of Missouri to be counted, the result would be, for A. B. for President of the United States, votes; if not counted, for A.B. for President of the United States, votes. But in either event A.B. is elected President of the United States. And in the same manner for Vice-President.

The three electoral votes of Missouri were counted.

[This was called "Counting in the Alternative" (see page 217, also "1837," "1869," and "1881" in this article).]

1825. 10 No candidate obtained a majority of the electoral votes for President. Jackson received 99; J. Q. Adams, 84; W. H. Crawford, 41; H. Clay, 37; necessary to a choice, 118. The choice of President devolved for the second time upon the House of Representatives (see "1801") from the three candidates receiving the highest number of votes (Constitution, Art. II., Sec. 3).

John Quincy Adams chosen on the first ballot.

John C. Calhoun was chosen Vice-President by the electors, having received 182 votes as against 30 for Sanford, 24 for Macon, 13 for Jackson, 9 for Van Buren, and 2 for Clay.

Statistics showing the "popular vote" for the several candidates were first published in connection with this election; no reliable results, particularly incident to many electors being appointed by the legislatures, as Vermont, New York, Delaware, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana, whose "popular vote" does not enter into the following tables:

1829. "Vermont, New York, Georgia, and Louisiana changed to a "popular" election. Popular vote of Delaware and South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature.

1833. 12 Delaware changed to "popular" election. Popular vote of South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature, and Alabama made no report, considering it unimportant, as there was no opposition. Her electors voted for Jackson.

1837. 18 The vote of Michigan announced in the alternative by the House, there having been a division as to whether that State was or was not a State for the purposes of the election (see "1821"). She was formally admitted January 26, 1837, which made her a State at the time of the electoral count.

No person had a majority of votes for Vice-President; the electoral vote as cast being Johnson 147, Granger 77, Tyler 47, and Smith 23 votes. The choice therefore devolved upon the Senate to be selected from the two highest, Johnson and Granger. By a vote of 33 to 16 Johnson chosen; the only occasion upon which the selection of a Vice-President has devolved upon the Senate.

Popular vote of South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature.

1841. 14 Popular vote of South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature.

1845. 15 Popular vote of South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature.

1849. 16 Popular vote of South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature.

1853. 17 Popular vote of South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature.

1857. 18 The electors of Wisconsin, on account of a severe snow-storm, were prevented from meeting on December 3, so cast their votes on December 4, upon which irregularity an objection raised at the official count, upon the presentation in the House of the vote of that State; under a ruling of the President pro tempore of the Senate debate was not in order "while the telers were counting the votes;" he recapitulated the votes giving Buchanan and Breckenridge 174 each and Frémont and Dayton 114 each (which included the five votes of Wisconsin), and declared the election of Buchanan and Breckenridge; his action caused protests on all sides and much debate, resulting in no change in the results as declared by the Chairman.

Popular vote of South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature.

1861. 19 Popular vote of South Carolina not considered, as electors chosen by the legislature.

1865. 20 The following joint resolution passed both Houses of Congress in January, 1865, to fix the status of the States that had seceded from the Union, until their governments had been duly reconstructed by Congress :

WHEREAS, The inhabitants and local authorities of the States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee rebelled against the Government of the United States, and were in such condition on the 8th day of November, 1864, that no valid election of electors for President and VicePresident of the United States, according to the Constitution and laws thereof, was held therein on said day; therefore,

Be it resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the States mentioned in the preamble to this joint resolution are not entitled to representation in the Electoral College for the choice of President and Vice-President of the United States for the term commencing on the 4th day of March, 1865, and no electoral votes shall be received or counted from said States concerning the choice of President and Vice-President for said term of office.

The electoral votes of the eleven States covered by the above resolution were Virginia, 10; North Carolina, 9; South Carolina, 6; Georgia, 9; Florida, 3; Alabama, 8; Mississippi, 7; Louisiana, 7; Texas, 6; Arkansas, 5; Tennessee, 10; total, 80 votes. One of the electors of Nevada died, the State casting but two electoral votes.

During the reading of the votes, the Vice-President replied to an inquiry of one of the Senators: "The Chair has in his possession returns from the States of Louisiana and Tennessee, but in obedience to the law of the land, the Chair holds it to be his duty not to present them to the convention." The votes were not presented. These two governments had, in a measure, been recognized by the President, a State government being in full operation in Louisiana, and an election in Tennessee had been ordered by the Governor ; but Congress viewed the results as pretended elections, claiming the electoral votes were cast by a handful of men, many not full citizens.

Popular vote of 25 States is shown; this includes the votes of the soldiers absent at the time from their respective States with the army, as follows:

1869. 21 Electoral votes of Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia excluded, as at the time of election neither State had adopted a Constitution since the 4th of March, 1867," under which a State government had been organized and the election held under authority of the Government, the State becoming entitled to representation in Congress under the reconstruction laws. See "Reconstruction," page 254.

Georgia's electoral vote counted in the alternative (see "1821") by a special concurrent resolution, February 6, 1869.