Civil Government for Common Schools Part 18

A. He must hand to the inspectors of election a ballot upon, which is printed the names of the thirty-five Electors.

Q. By whom are these votes to be canva.s.sed (or counted)?

A. By the same officers that canva.s.s other votes. In New York State the inspectors of election canva.s.s for their respective election districts, and certify the same to the Board of County Canva.s.sers; the County Canva.s.sers canva.s.s for counties, and certify to the State Canva.s.sers; the State Canva.s.sers canva.s.s for the State; and the Executive authority of each State causes three lists of the Electors of such State to be made and certified and delivered to the said Electors, on or before the first Wednesday in December.

MEETING OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.

Q. What must the Electors that have been declared elected then do?

A. I. They must meet on the first Wednesday in December succeeding their election, at such place in each State as the Legislature thereof shall designate (usually the capital), and vote for President and Vice-President, one of whom shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves.

II. The Electors must make and sign three certificates of all the votes by them given for President and Vice-President, annexing to each a certificate of the Electors furnished by the authority of the Executive.

III. These certificates must be sealed, certifying, on the outside of each, that there is contained therein a list of the votes of such State for President and Vice-President.

IV. A person duly appointed by the Electors, or a majority of them, must take charge of and deliver one of these certificates to the President of the Senate, at the seat of government

V. The second certificate must be forwarded through the mails to the President of the Senate, at the seat of government.

VI. The third certificate must be delivered to the Judge of the District Court in which the electors a.s.semble.

OPENING AND COUNTING THE ELECTORAL VOTES.

Q. When and by whom must these certificates be opened?

A. On the second Wednesday in February the President of the Senate, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, must open these certificates, and the votes must then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes, if that number be a majority, shall be the President; and the person having the greatest number of votes for Vice-President, if that number be a majority, shall be the Vice-President

Q. Who must count the votes?

A. Tellers appointed for that purpose by the House and Senate.

Q. In case neither candidate for the presidency has a majority of all the electoral votes cast, what must be done?

A. The election goes to the House of Representatives.

ELECTION BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Q. How does this election take place?

A. I. Two-thirds of the States must be represented to const.i.tute a quorum.

II. The candidates must be those already voted for, and must be confined to those receiving the highest number, not exceeding three.

III. Each State is ent.i.tled to only one vote: and it will be cast according to the wishes of a majority of the members in the House from that State. If, for instance, a State has fifteen members, eight belonging to one party and seven to another; the eight, being a majority, will, if agreed, cast the one vote, the minority having no voice in the election. Should there be an even number of members from any State, and should they be equally divided between two candidates, there might be one-half of a vote for each candidate.

Q, In case of a failure on the part of the House of Representatives to elect a President before the fourth of March, what then?

A. The Vice-President must act as President.

ELECTION OF VICE-PRESIDENT BY THE SENATE.

Q. Can the Senate ever elect a Vice-President?

A. Yes, when the people have failed to elect a Vice-President, then the Senate must elect.

Q. How is this done?

A. I. Two-thirds of all the Senators const.i.tute a quorum.

II. The Senate must vote for the two persons who received the highest number of votes for Vice-President.

III. A majority of all the members elected to the Senate is necessary to a choice.

IV. Should there be a tie in the Senate, the Vice-President may give the casting vote.

V. Should the Vice-President have succeeded to the presidency, or have vacated his office, and the President pro tem, (a Senator), preside, in that case there might be a tie, and no election reached.

THE PRESIDENT PRO TEM.

Q. What are the provisions for filling temporarily the office of President, when vacant?

A. I. In case of the removal, death, resignation, or inability, of both the President and Vice-President of the United States, the President of the Senate pro tem., and in case there be no President of the Senate, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall act as President of the United States for the time, until the disability be removed, or a President be elected.

II. In case of a vacancy in both the offices for President and Vice-President, the Secretary of State of the United States, shall notify the Governors of all the States, and cause the same to be printed in at least one newspaper in each State, ordering an election for electors of President and Vice-President: PROVIDED there shall be a s.p.a.ce of two months between the ordering of the same and the first Wednesday in December following.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

I. The term "Electoral College" means the presidential Electors when a.s.sembled as a body to cast the vote for President and Vice- President

II. Each State may provide by law for the filling of any vacancy which may exist in its college of electors, when such college meets to cast its electoral vote.

ELIGIBILITY.

I. No person shall hold the office, either of President or Vice- President, except native born citizens, or those who were in this country at the time of the adoption of the Const.i.tution.

II. The candidate must have been a resident of the United States for fourteen years.

III. He must be at the time of his election thirty-five years of age.

DUTIES.

Q. What are some of the duties of the President?

A. I. He is Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States.

II. And of the Militia of the several States when called into the actual service of the United States.

III. He has power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.