Mark Small

1788: NY missed day for voting & its electors were not chosen. RI & NC hadnt yet ratified Constitution & didnt participate. MD & VA chose electors by popular vote on a district-by-district basis. Id. 14/25

1788: PA & NH chose electors by statewide popular vote. MA chose electors by popular vote district-by-district, and the legislature appointed two electors at-large. Id. 15/25

1792 all 13 of the original States plus newly-admitted Vermont and Kentucky were able to vote. Pennsylvania, and Maryland cast popular votes for President. 16/25

1800: exposed flaws in Art II of Constitution. Thomas Jefferson ran for Pres w/Aaron Burr as VP. Because of a quirk, electors could not distinguish between votes for president and vice president and so Jefferson and Burr tied in number of electoral votes. 17/25

This threw vote 2 House of Representatives, where Federalists blocked majority necessary 4 Jefferson’s selection: 6 days & 36 ballots. Even tho everyone acknowledged voters intended to choose Jefferson Pres. Ellis, American Sphinx, p. 207. 18/25

As consequence of this kerfuffle, Amend XII to Const was drafted/ratified Winner-take-all wasnt est’d as predominant means of apportioning electors until after 1824, when winner of pop vote - slave-holding genocidal populist Jackson - won pop vote but House elected JQ Adams 19/25

At no time - let me repeat, just to be clear: at no time - was the idea that a minority SHOULD choose the President. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 68, the system of electors was created to afford ... 20/25

moral certainty that POTUS never fall to any man not endowed w/requisite qual’s POTUS requires other talents & different kind of merit, necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States. 21/25