Evening star., 1952-12-08
Presidential Electors
Vote Next Monday;
Congress Acts Jan. s
sy the AssoeIussd Press

ey the AssoeIuisd Press
Presidential electors next Mon
day will formally cast their votes
to elect Gen. Eisenhower Presi-
dent Of the United States. But
even with the result Of the No
vember 4 balloting will not be
made official until January 6.
when Congress makes the final
move.
Under the Constitution, which
sets up the much criticized
Electoral College system, Congress
meets in joint session and the
President Of the Senate (the Vice
President of the United States
usually has the votes of the
elsctors counted.
The joint session for the for
NAL election of Gen. Eisenhower
viii be held January 6. The re-
suits OF the November voting
show that Gen. Eisenhower will
get 442 electoral votes, compared
with 80 for Gov. Adlai Stevenson.
The popular vote set q record
atabout so million. of which Gen.
Eisenhower got more than 33 mil
lion and Gov. Stevenson more
than 26 million.
Each State Group Meets.
Under law the electors will as
senble in the 48 States to cast
their votes on December 15-the
first Monday after the second
Wednesday in December follow
ing the presidential election.
Already the General Services
Administration is receiving from
various Governors the certificates
listing all presidential elector
candidates and giving the total
vote for each.
From 1892 through 194S the
certificates were received by the
Secretary Of State but a 1850 re-
organization shifted to the Ad-
miniStrator of General Services
the responsibilities in connection
with presidential elections.
Jess Larson, the administrator
Of General Services. has delegated
the Federal Register Division of
National Archives to receive the
communications, check them and
preserve them as required by law.
When the electors meet in their
respective States next Monday, the
law requires them to cast their
votes and then Immediately pre-
pare six certificates showing the
result.
Could Vote rs They Wish.
Under the Constitution the elec-
tors are free agents to vote as they
desire. Blu, Michael Francis Doyle
Of Philadelphia. speaking as presi-
dent of the Electoral College, said
in 1949 that only three out of IT,
379 who had participated in Al
presidential elections betrayed
their trust and voted for others"
1t has been the custom for an
elector to cast his vote for the can
didate receiving the highest pop
ular vote in his State.
The most recent case in which
an elector departed from custom
was in Tennessee in 1948 when
one elector who was on both the
Democratic and States Rights
tickets cast his vote for Gov.
Strom Thurmond of South Caro-
lima. the State Rights candidate,
rather than President Truman,
who carried the State. That split
Tennessee's electoral vote, II for
Truman and one for Thurmond.
When the six certificates show
ing the result of the electoral vot-
ing have been prepared, one copy
must be sent directly to the Presi-
dent of the Senate, two copies
must be delivered to the Secretary
of the electors State, two must be
sent the GSA and one to the dis
trict Federal judge in which dis
trict the electors meet. GSA sends
SOhAVO VI OdS14 NC1 b444CdUC w b11C
Senate and House.
Governors Usually Sign.
Usually the certificates are
signed by the Governors of the
States and attested to by the Sec
retaries Of State, GSA officials
said.
The GSA must preserve one of
Its two copies. having it avail
able for public inspection, and
must hold the other subject to
the order Of the President of the
Senate. In a sense. one copy re-
ceived by GSA is just a backstop
for the copy the President of the
Senate is supposed to receive
direct.
There is no doubt who will be
elected at the joint session of
Congress January 6 but the Con-
stitution provides that if there is
a tie, then the House of Repre-
sentatives shall elect the Presi-
dent from among the top three
candidates. with each State hav-