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The losing candidate used to be Vice President — Sustainable Review
In a divided America, perhaps we should give the original system a second look.
For the first few decades of the United States, the losing candidate in a presidential election became Vice President. The 12th amendment in 1804 changed that. In a divided America, maybe we should give the original system a second look.
The 1796 election resulted in a split ticket between John Adams (president) and Thomas Jefferson (vice president). The 1800 election resulted in a tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Jefferson ended up winning the tiebreaker after a vote in the House, and Burr, the losing candidate, became VP.
Following the 1800 election, Congress ratified the 12th amendment, requiring each member of the Electoral College to submit one electoral vote for both the president and vice president.
Why Congress changed rules for the losing candidate
After some heated elections in 1796 and 1800, Congress felt like two opposing candidates in the White House was counter-productive. But in today’s divided political climate, in a disputed election, that might be exactly what we need.
