The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-21
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF 1877.

-, ana NllllAm NulltI, lem ocrat. : IS.
The Senate elected Johnson.
November May Not Decide.
Whether the next election is to be
thrown into the House may not be
known In November next. Whether
some of the electors listed on the old
party tickets Will vote for the promised
new party's candidates may not be
known until tho date when the cleo
tors meet TO cast their ballots
The voters Will. on the first Monday
in November. choose the electors who
on the second Monday in January, VIII
meet in their respective states and bal
lot for President and Vice President.
Ali parties concerned must then be
given chance to formally contest the
electoral vote. and through their own
tellers. have hand in counting it.
Messengers raving been sent 10 Wash
ington with the electoral votes OF each
state the casket containing them will.
on the second Wednesday of February.
ne unlocked by the Vice President in
the presence of both bodies OF Con-
gress brought together in the great
hall OF the House OF Rerres entatives.
II there has been any contest over
the choice OF the electors in any state
a certificate showing how the contest
has been settled must be forwarded
ny the governor to Secretary OF State
Knox. who must then publish tho Ger
tifcate in some public newspaper" and
send copies TO the two houses of Con-
eress
Having unlocked the electoral votes,
from the casket placed upon his desk,
Vice President sherman Will hand them
to the tellers. seated at the desk be
low him. these gentlemen having been
previously selected by their respective
parties in each house After having
read the count estimated nv the
tellers. the Vice President will ask for
objections. and II there be none ne will
add:
This announcement OF the state of
the vote By the President of the Sem
ate IS by law a sufficient declaration
that - is elected President" etc.
The Procedure in Detail.
And here is the procedure which. If
| presidents are observed. will ne fol-
| lowed in the event that no candidate
in next November's election is found by
| this count 10 have received a majortN
| of tho electoral vote:
! The Senate having retired to its
chamber. the House of representatives
would begin action with a roll call
This having shown that a member or
| members from two-thirds OF the
! states are present. the House would
Immediately proceed by ballot TO choose
! President from the three candida ties.
In case none should receive the vote
! OF a majority of all the states on the
| FIRST ballot the House would continue
| to ballot for a President without in
: terruptiOn by other business until n
I President is crosen or there is a hope
less deadlock remaining unbroken un-
! til March l.
The, doors of the House would be
| against It's officers and members of
| the Senate At the request of the
| delegation of any one State the gal
leries could he cleared. From the com
mencement of the ballotinG until an
election We're completed no proposition
the motion of one State. seconded by
another. the question being finally de
cided by vote of states
In balloting for President the fol-
lowing procedure would be followed:
The representatives OF each State
! would be arranged and seated together.
beginning with the Maine delegation.
seated at the right hand OF the Speak
er's chair and thence preceding
around the hall of the House with the
other delegations seated In the order in
which the States are usually named in
the proceedings for receiving petitions.
Ballot box for Each Stnte.
a separate ballot box would be pro-
vided for each State delegation. which.
IL necessary, might appoint tellers. AS
the clerk of the House called the roll
of the States the sergant-at-arms
! would present to that States delega-
tion two ballot boxes. ono for ballots
and one for duplicate set of the
same ballots. The sergeant alarms
would then carry one box to one set
of teliers and the other to another
One representative from each State
would be- appointed by it's delegation
as teller. These forty-eight tellers
would then divide themselves into two
sets. each assigned to a separate table.
| which would ha N fnarlxeh ooptraet