Why was the election of 1800 decided in the house of representatives?
A. The 12th amendment requires this process.
B. No candidate receive the majority in the electoral college.
C. Both candidates were from the same party.
D. No candidate wanted to be vice president.
B. No candidate received the majority in the electoral college.
In the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, both members of the Democratic-Republican Party, received an equal number of electoral votes. At that time, the electoral college did not distinguish between votes for president and vice-president, a situation that the 12th Amendment later corrected. Because no candidate had a majority, the decision was deferred to the House of Representatives, as stipulated by Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution. After a contentious and lengthy process, Jefferson was ultimately chosen as president and Burr as vice-president.