The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-11-09
AN ELECTORAL PRIMER.
Some Interesting Facts About
Choice of President.

Kansas City Star.
Will the President of the Unit
ed States be elected November
8?
He will not. The people in
each State will merely choose a
set of electors of most of whom
they have never heard.
What will the electors do?
They will assemble in their
State capitols the second Monday
in January and ballot for Presi-
dent and Vice President. Each
of these assemblies is called an
electoral college. There are as
many electoral colleges as there
are States. The Territories and |
the District of Columbia have no
Presidential vote.
Suppose a candidate should die
between the November election |
and the date of the assembling
of the electoral colleges?
The electors would probably
receive instructions from a ma
tional convention or from recog-
nized party leaders. In 1872,
when Greeley, the minority can
didate, died after the election,
his voters were scattered. Six
Georgia electors, for instance,
voted for B. Gratz Brown and
three for Greeley. The Greeley
votes were rejected by Congress.
Thomas A. Hendricks and Brown
divided the votes that had been
intended for Greeley.
Does the constitution prescribe
how electors must be chosen?
No. 1t leaves this to the
States.
Are they not always voted for
on a general ticket?
They happen to be now. But
a Legislature may provide diff
ferently. In 1876 the Colorado
! Legislature chose the State cleo
tors. Mr.. Thomas Watson said
the other day that under the laws
Eof Georgia if no ticket receives a
majority in Georgia the choice Of
electors is thrown into the Legis-
lature. In 1892 Michigan voted
on it's electors by congressional
districts.
How do States sometimes split
their electoral votes?
Occasionally a popular elector
will receive enough compliment
tary votes to elect him, even if
his fellows on the ticket are de-
: feated. Sometimes mistakes in
marking ballots will result in a
a divided electoral vote in a close
5 State.
t What determines the date OF
2 the national election?
I In 1845 Congress prescribed
= that it be held on the Tuesday
r after the first Monday in Novem.
r Der. Before that time some Of
the States held elections on diff
S ferent days.
t Does a plurality in the elector
al colleges elect?
0 No. The constitution provide
f that if no candidate shall receive
:. a majority of the electoral vote
/ the election shall be throw
e into the House, the three highes
/ candidates only being voted on
Can a man be elected Presiden
e by a minority of the popula
e vote?
!, Yes. In 1924 Andrew Jackso
IS had a plurality of $4,000 over J
r. @. Adams and in 1888 Grove
# Cleveland had a plurality of neal
ID ly 100000 over Benjamin Harri
le son.
is Is there any justification fc
If election by States rather than b
1T direct popular vote?
lie Yes. Elections by States
a probably fairer to the country 9
i'd a whole. Otherwise some limi
le ed section of the country migl
al acquire undue infence. Thus tt
c. manufacturing State of Pennsy
is vania may give as huge a Repu1
h lican vote as it pleases, but it ca
" deliver only thirty-four elector
re votes. Under the present sy
by tenn no President can be chose
i'll who has not supporters in abo
C. half the States of the Union.