Last update: 04dec13

THE "FAITHLESS NINE"
Presidential Electors who have defected in the past
 

 

2004: An unknown elector, Minnesota
Elector for: Kerry (Democrat)
instead cast a ballot for Senator John Edwards, Senator John Kerry's running mate.
Note: It is believed that one of the Electors evidently mixed up his/her "John"s and inadvertently voted for Edwards for both President and Vice President. Minnesota does not require the Electors to sign either of their ballots. Once gathered at the meeting place, the electors simply deposit pieces of paper with their respective "choices" for each Office into a ballot box, after which these ballots are counted. All 10 of Minnesota's votes for Vice President went to Senator John Edwards.

2000: Barbara Lett-Simmons, District of Columbia
Elector for: Gore (Democrat)
instead cast a blank ballot.
Note: Ms. Lett-Simmons cast a blank ballot to protest what she called D.C.'s "colonial status".

1988: Margaret Leach, West Virginia
Elector for: Dukakis (Democrat)
instead voted for: Lloyd Bentsen (Dukakis' running mate)
Note: Ms. Leach cast her Vice Presidential vote for Dukakis instead of Bentsen as well.

1976: Mike Padden, Washington
Elector for: Ford (Republican)
instead voted for: Ronald Reagan (challenged Ford's GOP nomination)
Note: Mr. Padden did, however, vote for Ford's running mate, Robert Dole; Dole thus became the only Vice Presidential candidate to receive more Electoral Votes than the top of the national ticket on which he was running.

1972: Roger L. MacBride, Virginia
Elector for: Nixon (Republican)
instead voted for: John Hospers (Libertarian)
Note: Mr. MacBride was the Libertarian candidate for President four years later- in 1976.

1968: Lloyd W. Bailey, North Carolina
Elector for: Nixon (Republican)
instead voted for: George Wallace (American Independent)
Note: This led to the (so far) only time the provisions of 3 U.S.C. 15 re: an Electoral Vote not "regularly given" was dealt with formally by Congress. Objections were raised by a number of Senators and Congressmen to the counting of North Carolina in the tabulation Joint Session of the 91st Congress (6 January 1969)- the two houses immediately "rose" to debate and vote separately and "concurred" that Dr. Bailey's vote should be counted as cast, after which the tabulation Joint Session resumed to complete counting the Electoral Vote of the 1968 Presidential Election. It is this result which has been since deemed to have legitimized the "Faithless Elector"- that is, since Congress once actually voted on the issue, it would be hard to claim a "Faithless Elector" had somehow violated Federal law (though, of course, Congress retains the power not to accept a "faithless" Electoral Vote under 3 U.S.C. 15).

1960: Henry D. Irwin, Oklahoma
Elector for: Nixon (Republican)
instead voted for: Harry Flood Byrd, Sr. (supported by "Unpledged" Democrats)

1956: W.F. Turner, Alabama
Elector for: Stevenson (Democrat)
instead voted for: Walter B. Jones, an Alabama judge.

1948: Preston Parks, Tennessee
Elector for: Truman (Democrat)
instead voted for: Strom Thurmond (State's Rights ["Dixiecrat"])
 


Appointing Electors
Place and Time of Meeting on December 18, 2000
May Electors Defect?
 

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