Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-22
Nafrhman &c SunrnaL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1876.
The Electoral Vote.

the machinery for determining which OF two
or more candidates has hecn legally elected
10 the Presidency have been strikingly
shown, and attempts have been made to
remedy them, but while none Of these efforts
have met with success, IL has also been for
tunate that on no occasion which has ever
arisen has the actual result been affected by
the vote Of any state which forwarded it,
vote and the validity Of whose returns has
been questioned Now it seems possible
that such contingency may arise.
No provision has ever been made for
settling dispute Of this kind, Section !,
Article H., OF the Constitution directs that
each state shall appoint, in such manner as
the legislature thereof may direct, number
OF electors equal 10 the whole number OF SEN
ators aud Representatives TO which the state
may be entitled in the Congress but no
senator or Representatives or person holding
an office Of trust or profit under the United
States, shall be appointed an elector.
The Twelfth Amendment Of the Consti-
tuition provides that the electors meet IN
their respective states, and vote by ballot
for President and Nise-President, one of
whom shall not be an inhabitant Of the
same state as themselves. And
they shall make distinct lists Of all person,
voted for a. President, and Of all persons
voted for as Vice-presdent, and Of the mum.
Der Of votes for each which lists they shall
sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the
seat Of the government Of the United States.
directed TO the President Of the Senate.
The President Of the Senate shall, in the
presence Of the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives, open all the certificates and the
votes shall then be counted. The person
having the creates. number Of votes for
President shall be the President, if such
number be a majority of the whole number
Of electors appointed ste
by the acts of 1892 aud 1901, as adopted
in the Revised Statutes of the United States,
the following regulations are made
SECTION 13J-Ihe electors for each state shall
meet and give their votes upon the first wedncs-
day In December, In the year in which they are
appointed, at such place in each state, as the leg
stature Of snch state shall direct
SECTION l3G--lt shall be the duty Of the execu-
tive Of each state to three lists OF the names
Of the electors Of such state 10 be made and GER
titled and to be delivered 10 the electors on or be
fore the day on which they are required, by the
preceding section to meet
SEcrIoS i37-The electors shall vote for Presi-
dent and Vice President, respectively in the man
ner directed by the constitution
SECTION l3S-The electors shall make and sign
three certificates Of all the votes given By them,
each Of which certificates shall contain two dis
tnct lists one Of the votes for President, and tho
other Of the votes for Vice-President and shall
annex to each OF the certificates one Of the lists
of the electors which shall have been furnished
10 them by direction Of the executive Of the state
SECTION l39-Ihe electors shall seal up the GER
,ifcates so made by them, and certify upon each
that the lists Of all the votes OF such state given
for President and OF all the votes given for Vice
President are contained therein.
SECTION Hottie electors shall dispose Of the
certificates thus made by them in the following
manner.
first-They shall, by writing under their hands,
OF under the hands Of a majority Of them, ap-
points person to take charge Of and deliver TO
the President Of the Senate, at the seat Of gov
eminent before the first Wednesday in January
then next ensuing, one Of the certificates
.Second--They shall forthwith forward BY the
Tost-otlice 10 the President OF the Senate at the
seat Of government one other Of the certificates
TIird-They shall forthwith cause the other Of
the certificates TO be delivered to the Judge Of that
district in which the electors shall assemble
SECTION ll2-Congress shall be in session on
the second Wednesday in February succeeding
every meeting OF the electors and the certificates
or so many Of them as have been received shall
then be opened, the votes counted, and the per-
sons 10 fill the offices Of President and Vice
President ascertained and declared, agrceably to
the constitution.
On several occasions prior TO 1869 objec
tons had been made to receiving the votes
of certain states on account of alleged ir
regularities but no such vote was ever
formally rejected, In 1864, a resolution
was adopted by Congress, excluding the
electoral votes Of states then in rebellion
but as no votes were received from any of
Them none were rejected. A precedent was,
however, set for the rejection of the vote of
state by joint resolution concurred in
by both Houses Of Congress.
When the questions arose during the first
half of the century touching the acceptance
or rejection of the vote of states, the returns
from which were irregular, long debates
sometimes arose which seriously interfered
with the prompt announcement of the re-
suit. To cut off such debate the twenty
second joint rule of the two Houses was
adopted in 1865, and re-adopted by each
succeeding Congress except the present.
The following is the text of the rule