The Electoral College in History
Elections That Tested the System’s Resilience
In the evolution of the Electoral College, there have been some interesting developments and remarkable outcomes. Critics often try to use these as examples of what can go wrong. Yet most of these historical curiosities were the result of profound political divisions within the country which the designers of the Electoral College system seem to have anticipated as needing resolution at a higher level. 1800 Election. In 1800, the Democratic-Republican electors gave both Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr an equal number of electoral votes. The tie, settled in Jefferson’s favor by the House of Representatives in accordance with the original…
