Evening star., 1917-01-14

III III ruary congress VIII oe III Joii'
II ~ session to count the votes of the
electoral college. In various news
papers one may now see published very
formal statements made by the "execu-
tive authority" of the several states OF
the Union. They are duly attested by
official seals and secretaries. and they
certify that as the result of the general
election last November certain persons
received the votes set opposite their
names. and that in consequence those
receiving the most votes, up to the
number of representatives which that
state has in Congress-the House and
the Senate combined-are chosen to sit
in the electoral college. which never
meets. for the selection Of the next
President of the United States.
These certificates contain the names
Of all persons nominated as electors by
the various conventions and parties in
the states; they designate by name the
men who are chosen electors. but do
not indicate to what party they belong.
They vary in form: some are signed
nv the governor some by the secretary
Of state: the only general requirement
being that they shall be executed by
The Constitution provides that the
national election for the selection of
the President shall take place on the
same day throughout the land. but
leaves the method of voting. the selec-
tion of electors. the counting OF the
votes and the reports thereon abso-
lutely to the states The qualification
Of state voters is also left to the state,
except that they must be the same as
those of the electors of the most nu-
merous branch of the state legislatures
After the state vote is officially de-
termined the executive authority"
makes four certificates of the ascer-
tainment of such electors: sends one to
the Secretary of State of the United
States, and delivers the other three to
the electors themselves.
The Secretary of State retains his
certificate and publishes copies thereof
in various newspapers. He also fur
nishes officially copies of this certificate
to both houses of Congress. The electors
retain their certificate and forward it
later to the seat of government with
the results of their balloting for choice
of President and Vice President.
On the second Monday Of January the
electors of each state met at place
within its own state designated by its
own legislature: and there. after organic
ing In their own way. gave their votes
for their candidates for the presidency
and vice presidency: presumably in every
state which went democratic last Novem-
ber they voted unanimously for Mr.. Will
son, and in those which went republican
for Judge Hughes.
II any state had been carried by a
progressive. labor or socialist vote so
that its electors were chosen by that
party. presumably their own ballots
would have been cast for that party's
candidate. although there Is nothing in
the Constitution or the law requiring
them to vote for their candidate or pre-
venting them from casting their votes
for the choice of any other party.
To prevent delay in the determination
of the electoral vote in any state 1t is
provided that II any state shall have pro-
vided for the determination Of any con-
troversy over the choice of electors. and
such determination shall have been made
at least six days before the meeting Of
the electors. that determination shall be
final SO far as the ascertainment of the
electors appointed by such state is con-
cerned. This was enacted not only to pre-
vent delay but to protect each state from
having Congress go behind the returns"