The American Electoral College

[Jomtienbob]

Than you are a typical American.

I will give you a hint. the # 1.

[windwalker]

As in everything, if you know the answer it is always simple!

George Washington, the first president, received all electoral votes the two times he was elected president.

[Bob]

As in everything, if you know the answer it is always simple!

George Washington, the first president, received all electoral votes the two times he was elected president.

Well, maybe not so simple. During the first few elections in the US, each of the electors had two votes. Every one of the 69 electors in the very first election cast one vote each for Washington and then cast his second vote for somebody else. It was set up or understood that whoever got the most votes was elected President and the second highest vote-getter became Vice President (John Adams, the first Vice President, received the second highest number). I'm not sure how it exactly worked during the second election (when Washington was elected for his second term) but I do know the US Constitution was later amended to require the electors to cast separate votes (one specifically for President and one specifically for Vice President).

[Gaybutton]

69

Oh well, at least it was my favorite number . . .

[windwalker]

Bob; really not so simple! Guess my next question is who received the other electoral votes for VP other than John Adams? I have no idea.

[Bob]

Bob; really not so simple! Guess my next question is who received the other electoral votes for VP other than John Adams? I have no idea.

Nor do I....but my guess is a lot of the votes went to favorite sons and/or various war heroes of the various states. And I wonder what would have happened if both Washington and Adams received the same number of votes (don't remember but think the legislature then selected the President....and maybe the Constitutional amendment changed that, not sure).

Edit: Briefly researched ("googled") it and apparently 11 people including Adams got votes. What was more interesting is that only 10 of the original states had electors that voted - two of the states hadn't ratified the Constitution and New York's legislature was deadlocked and didn't send any electors. Guess New York was the "Florida" of that election...haha. And, also interesting, only 6 of the states chose the electors via any type of popular vote...the others let their legislatures select the electors.

[Jomtienbob]

From Federal Archives:


Election 1789
President George Washington [F]
Main Opponent John Adams [F]
Electoral Vote Winner: 69 Main Opponent: 34 Total/Majority: 69/35
Popular Vote no record
Votes for Others John Jay (9), Robert H. Harrison (6), John Rutledge (6), John Hancock (4), George Clinton (3), Samuel Huntington (2), John Milton (2), James Armstrong (1), Benjamin Lincoln (1), Edward Telfair (1)
Vice President John Adams
Notes For all intents and purposes, Washington was unopposed for election as President. Under the system then in place, votes for Vice President were not differentiated from votes for President.


Election 1792
President George Washington [F]
Main Opponent John Adams [F]
Electoral Vote Winner: 132 Main Opponent: 77 Total/Majority: 132/67
Popular Vote no record
Votes for Others George Clinton (50), Thomas Jefferson (4), Aaron Burr (1)
Vice President John Adams
Notes For all intents and purposes, Washington was unopposed for election as President. Under the system then in place, votes for Vice President were not differentiated from votes for President.

[windwalker]

Wow; great info when I appear on Jeopardy. (A US trivia/facts quiz show) but with my luck it will be all questions regarding GB (Great Britain, not Gay Button).