Washington's percentage of the popular vote
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  Washington's percentage of the popular vote
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Author Topic: Washington's percentage of the popular vote  (Read 1484 times)
A18
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« on: January 23, 2005, 03:08:25 PM »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington

America's first presidential election took place on February 4, 1789. It was left up to each state to determine how to choose its electors. Of the 13 states, only 10 cast electoral votes, and of those 10, only 5 held a general popular election for president.

First, did they actually vote "for president" similar to today, or for electors?

Second, what were the results in those 5 states?
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jfern
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« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2005, 08:06:26 PM »

That's at odds with what was said in this thread.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=14078.0
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jimrtex
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« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2005, 02:34:00 AM »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington

America's first presidential election took place on February 4, 1789. It was left up to each state to determine how to choose its electors. Of the 13 states, only 10 cast electoral votes, and of those 10, only 5 held a general popular election for president.

First, did they actually vote "for president" similar to today, or for electors?

Second, what were the results in those 5 states?
Congressional Quarterly in its Presidential ELections Since 1789 says that:

PA and MD elected their electors at large;
VA and DE elected by district;
CT, GA, NJ, NY, and SC by the legislature (but NY failed to choose anyone);
NH by statewide vote, but the legislature would choose in case no candidate had a majority.
MA by district would nominate two persons, one of which the legislature would select.  The legislature would also elect the two "senatorial" electors.

CQ notes "Information on the methods of selecting presidential electors for the period 1789-1836 appears in several sources, and the sources in a number of instances is in conflict.

I suspect the electors were chosen unpledged to any candidate.  Though all the electors cast one vote for Washington, the second vote was fragmented.  Adams was elected VP despite not receiving a majority of the electoral votes.  This is a distinction he shares with Thomas Jefferson in 1796, his son John Q in 1824, and Richard Johnson in 1836 (in all 4 instances the other officeholder was elected with a majority of the electoral votes.



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skybridge
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« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2005, 10:57:21 AM »

They only counted those that went to Washington
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