Party:
FEDERALIST
Home State:
VA
Electoral Votes:
69
John Adams
Party:
FEDERALIST
Home State:
MA
Electoral Votes:
34
Before the ratification of the 12th amendment in 1804, the candidate who received the majority of electoral votes became president, and the runner-up was named vice president. See The Electoral Process Before the 12th Amendment.
John Jay
Party:
FEDERALIST
Home State:
NY
Electoral Votes:
9
Robert Hanson Harrison
Party:
FEDERALIST
Home State:
MD
Electoral Votes:
6
John Rutledge
Party:
FEDERALIST
Home State:
SC
Electoral Votes:
6
John Hancock
Party:
FEDERALIST
Home State:
MA
Electoral Votes:
4
George Clinton
Party:
DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN
Home State:
NY
Electoral Votes:
3
Samuel Huntington
Party:
?
Home State:
CT
Electoral Votes:
2
John Milton
Party:
?
Home State:
GA
Electoral Votes:
2
James Armstrong
Party:
FEDERALIST
Home State:
PA
Electoral Votes:
1
Benjamin Lincoln
Party:
FEDERALIST
Home State:
MA
Electoral Votes:
1
Edward Telfair
Party:
?
Home State:
GA
Electoral Votes:
1
Not Cast
Electoral Votes:
44
Actual electors/electoral votes - 69/138 (from all or part of 10 states)
Majority needed to win - 35
Popular vote totals not kept until 1824
. When the constitution had finally been ratified and the time came for the new republic to elect its first president, there really was only one choice. George Washington was a delegate to both constitutional congresses, was unanimously named commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and was unanimously named president of the Constitutional Convention that drafted the Constitution. His popularity cut across the political spectrum, including those who advocated a strong central government (the Federalists, with whom Washington agreed), those who wanted the states to hold the most power (soon to be called the Democratic-Republicans), and even those who didn't really care about politics. From the 69 electors, who had to name two choices for president on their ballot, Washington received one vote on every ballot -- once again a unanimous election.
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In 1789, 69 electoral votes were available to a candidate; 35 votes were needed to secure the win. Votes "not cast" are not included in the total. The method of choosing electors is listed below each states' name. LEG means the state legislature chose the electors. POP-AL means an at-large popular vote chose the state's electors. POP-DIS means electors were chosen by popular votes in each district of the state. In some states, a mix of these systems was used.
STATE
CANDIDATE
EVs
CONNECTICUT ( LEG )
Washington
7
Adams
5
Huntington
2
DELEWARE ( POP-DIS )
Washington
3
Jay
3
GEORGIA ( LEG )
Washington
5
Milton
2
Armstrong
1
Lincoln
1
Telfair
1
MARYLAND ( POP-AL )
Washington
6
Harrison
6
Not Cast
4
MASSACHUSETTS ( LEG / POP-DIS )
Washington
10
Adams
10
NEW HAMPSHIRE ( LEG / POP-AL )
Washington
5
Adams
5
NEW JERSEY ( LEG )
Washington
6
Jay
5
Adams
1
NEW YORK ( LEG )
Not Cast
16
NORTH CAROLINA
Not Cast
14
PENNSYLVANIA ( POP-AL )
Washington
10
Adams
8
Hancock
2
RHODE ISLAND
Not Cast
6
SOUTH CAROLINA ( LEG )
Washington
7
Rutledge
6
Hancock
1
VIRGINIA ( POP-DIS )
Washington
10
Adams
5
Clinton
3
Hancock
1
Jay
1
Not Cast
4
See the OVERVIEW above for each candidate's electoral vote totals.
In 1789, 69 electoral votes were available to a candidate; 35 votes were needed to secure the win.