U.S. presidential election, 1789

Presidential electoral votes by state.

The U.S. presidential election of 1789 was the first presidential election in the United States of America.

New York failed to appoint its allotment of eight electors, and subsequently cast no electoral votes. North Carolina and Rhode Island also did not cast votes, as they had not yet ratified the United States Constitution.

For all intents and purposes, George Washington ran unopposed for election as President. Under the system in place then and through the election of 1800, each voting elector cast two votes - the recipient of the greatest number of votes was elected President, providing they equalled or exceeded half the total number of electors, the second greatest number Vice President which had no qualification of support.

The recipient of 34 electoral votes, John Adams of Massachusetts finished second in voting and as such was elected Vice President of the United States.

General election

Results

|- | John Adams | (none) | Massachusetts | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 34

|- | John Jay | (none) | New York | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 9

|- | Robert H. Harrison | (none) | Maryland | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 6

|- | John Rutledge | (none) | South Carolina | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 6

|- | John Hancock | (none) | Massachusetts | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 4

|- | George Clinton | (none) | New York | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 3

|- | Samuel Huntington | (none) | Connecticut | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 2

|- | John Milton | (none) | Georgia | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 2

|- | James Armstrong | (none) | Pennsylvania | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 1

|- | Benjamin Lincoln | (none) | Massachusetts | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 1

|- | Edward Telfair | (none) | Georgia | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | — | style="text-align:right;" | 1 ^(a) The popular vote is not tabulated because (1) only 6 of the 10 states cating electoral votes chose electors by any form of popular vote and (2) pre-Twelfth Amendment electoral vote rules obscure the intentions of the voters.

Breakdown by ticket

|- | George Washington | John Jay | 9

|- | George Washington | Robert H. Harrison | 6

|- | George Washington | John Rutledge | 6

|- | George Washington | John Hancock | 4

|- | George Washington | George Clinton | 3

|- | George Washington | Samuel Huntington | 2

|- | George Washington | John Milton | 2

|- | George Washington | James Armstrong | 1

|- | George Washington | Benjamin Lincoln | 1

|- | George Washington | Edward Telfair | 1

Electoral college selection

^(a) New York's legislature deadlocked, so no Electors were chosen
^(b) One electoral district failed to chose an Elector.

See also

• History of the United States (1789-1849)

References

• Jenson, Merrill et al., eds., (1976-1989) The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, 1788-1790. 4 vols.; Madison, Wisconsin.

External links

• Account of the Presidential Election of 1789
• The Green Papers: A Historical Analysis of the Electoral College