ELECTORS OF PRESIDENT
(bouvier) | ELECTORS OF PRESIDENT. Persons elected by the people, whose sole duty is to
elect a president and vice-president of the U. S.
2. The Constitution provides, Am. art. 12, that "the electors shall
meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for president and vice-
president, one of whom at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state
with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as
president, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as vice-president;
and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted fur as president,
and of all persons voted for as vice-president, and of the number of votes
for each; which list 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 the house of representatives, open all the certificates, and the
votes shall then be counted; the person having the greatest number of, votes
for president, shall be the president, if such number be the majority of the
whole number of electors appointed; and if no, person have such majority,
then from the persons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three, on
the list of those voted for as president, the house of representatives shall
choose immediately, by ballot, the president. But in choosing the president,
the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state
having one vote; a quorum, for this purpose, shall consist of a member or
members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states
shall be necessary to a choice. And if the house of representatives shall
not choose a president whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them,
before the fourth day of March next following, then the vice-president shall
act as president, as in the case of the death or other constitutional
disability of the president.
3.-2. "The person having the greatest number of votes as vice-
president shall be vice-president, if such number be a majority of the whole
number of electors appointed and if no person have a majority, them from the
two highest numbers on the list, the senate shall choose the vice-president;
a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of
senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice.
But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president, shall
be eligible to that of vice-president of the United States." Vide 3 Story,
Const. Sec. 1448 to 1470.
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