Maryland's Certification of Vote in the 1789 Election
2/5/1789
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When a person votes for a Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate in the popular election, they're actually voting for the slate of electors representing their choice for President and Vice President. Those electors meet in their state and vote. They record their votes on Certificates of Vote like this one.
They send their state's electoral votes to the President of the United States Senate. Then Congress counts the electoral votes in a joint session of Congress and announces the winner.
This Certificate of Vote from Maryland shows that George Washington and Robert Hanson Harrison each received six votes. Washington was elected President and John Adams Vice President in the 1789 election.
They send their state's electoral votes to the President of the United States Senate. Then Congress counts the electoral votes in a joint session of Congress and announces the winner.
This Certificate of Vote from Maryland shows that George Washington and Robert Hanson Harrison each received six votes. Washington was elected President and John Adams Vice President in the 1789 election.
Transcript
State of MarylandWe the subscribers, chosen by the people of the state of Maryland, Electors for the State of Maryland to vote by ballot, for two persons as President and Vice President of the United States of America, according to the directions of the constitution of the United States and the Act of Assembly of this State in that case provides, do hereby certify, that in virtue of our appointment, we met at the City of Annapolis, on the fourth day February being the first Wednesday in February seventeen hundred and eighty nine; and that, on the same day, we proceeded to vote, and did vote, by ballot, for two persons as President and Vice President of the United States of America; and that upon examining the ballots, and counting the votes, they appeared as follows —
For George Washington Esquire, of the State of Virginia, and late Commander in Chief of the American army. } Six votes.
For Robert Hanson Harrison Esquire, of the State of Maryland, and Chief Justice of the same } Xix votes.
We further certify, that no other Elector for the State of Maryland was present at our aforesaid meeting; altho' eight Electors were chosen for the State of Maryland, areeably to the directions of the said constitution and Act of
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 306221
Full Citation: List of the votes by the electors in the state of Maryland for a President and Vice President of the United States; 2/5/1789; Credentials, 1789 - 1998; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/md-certification-vote-1789, December 3, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
