How many votes could each elector in the Electoral College cast in the presidential election of 1800? A. one B. two C. three D. four

B. two

In the presidential election of 1800, each elector in the Electoral College was allowed to cast two votes. The system at the time required each elector to vote for two different candidates. The candidate with the majority of votes would become president, and the runner-up would become vice president.

Extra: The process of electing a president through the Electoral College was established by Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution. The original process outlined in the Constitution was different than it is today. Back in the 1800 election, there was no distinction made on the ballot between presidential and vice presidential candidates. This meant that electors would vote for their top two choices without specifying which one was for president and which one was for vice president. As a result, the election of 1800 ended in a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, both of whom received the same number of votes from the Electoral College. This tie exposed flaws in the original electoral system and led to the enactment of the 12th Amendment to the Constitution in 1804, which required electors to cast separate votes for president and vice president, thereby streamlining the process and avoiding the possibility of a tie for the presidency.