- The process of choosing a President has worked for more than 200 years. But it is not simple. It includes the Constitution, State and federal laws, and political parties.
- The Framers of the constitution did not want voters to elect the President directly. They knew communication and transportation in the United States were poor. They feared that people could not get enough information to cast a wise vote. Yet they did not want Congress to choose the President either. They worried that this would give Congress too much power. So the Framers created a special body, the elecltoral college, to do this job, A few citizens from each State would become presidential electors. They would choose the President and Vice President.
- The Rise of Political Parties
- Right away there were problems. In 1796 John Adams, the Federalist party candidate, was elected President. His opponent, Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican party finished second. Under the rules of the time, the candidate who came in second became Vice President. That meant two arch-rivals were the top leaders of the country, each with a different plan for the government.
- In the next election, in 1800, there was a different problem. Thomas Jefferson and his vice presidential running mate finished in a tie in the electoral college. The House of Representatives had to decide which of them would be President. This was still not and ideal system.
- In 1804, the 12th Amendment solved the problem. Members of the electoral college now vote separately for president and vice president. The chart at left describes the procedure the electors follow today.