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Faithless elector
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===1804 to 1840=== '''6''' β [[1808 United States presidential election|1808 election]]: Six electors from New York were pledged to vote for [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]] [[James Madison]] for president and former New York governor [[George Clinton (vice president)|George Clinton]] for vice president. Instead, they voted for Clinton for president, with three voting for Madison for vice president and the other three voting for [[James Monroe]] for vice president.<ref name="FairVote"/> '''3''' β [[1812 United States presidential election|1812 election]]: Three electors pledged to vote for [[Federalist Party|Federalist]] vice-presidential candidate [[Jared Ingersoll]] instead voted for [[Elbridge Gerry]].<ref name="FairVote"/> '''1''' β [[1820 United States presidential election|1820 election]]: [[William Plumer]] was pledged to vote for [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]] presidential candidate [[James Monroe]], who was not contested for re-election, but he instead cast his vote for [[John Quincy Adams]], who was not a candidate in the election. Some historians{{who|date=March 2023}} contend Plumer wanted George Washington to be the only unanimous selection, or that he wanted to draw attention to his friend Adams as a potential candidate. These claims are disputed.<ref name="Edwards">{{cite book|last1=Edwards|first1=George|title=Why the Electoral College Is Bad for America|date=2004|publisher=Yale University Press}}</ref> Plumer also cast his vice-presidential vote for Richard Rush, not Daniel D. Tompkins as pledged. '''7''' β [[1828 United States presidential election|1828 election]]: Seven of the nine electors from Georgia refused to vote for vice-presidential candidate [[John C. Calhoun]]; they instead cast their vice-presidential votes for [[William Smith (South Carolina senator)|William Smith]].<ref name="FairVote"/> '''30''' β [[1832 United States presidential election|1832 election]]: All 30 electors from Pennsylvania refused to vote for the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, [[Martin Van Buren]], voting instead for [[William Wilkins (U.S. politician)|William Wilkins]].<ref name="FairVote"/> '''23''' β [[1836 United States presidential election|1836 election]]: The 23 electors from Virginia were pledged to vote for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidates [[Martin Van Buren]] for president and [[Richard Mentor Johnson|Richard M. Johnson]] for vice president. However, they refused to vote for Johnson because of his open liaison with an enslaved woman and voted instead for Senator [[William Smith (South Carolina senator)|William Smith]] of South Carolina, which left Johnson with 147 electoral votes, one short of a majority. Johnson was subsequently elected vice president after a [[contingent election]] in the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. '''1''' β [[1840 United States presidential election|1840 election]]: One elector from [[Virginia]], Arthur Smith of [[Isle of Wight County, Virginia|Isle of Wight County]], was pledged to vote for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidates [[Martin Van Buren]] for president {{citation needed span|and [[Richard Mentor Johnson|Richard M. Johnson]] for vice president|date=November 2020|reason=Do we know for sure that Smith was "pledged" to vote for Johnson for VP? The other Viriginia electors voted for Tazewell for VP.}}; however, he voted for [[James K. Polk]] for vice president.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UqbQAAAAMAAJ|title=The Virginia Electors|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=UqbQAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA204&lpg=PA204 204]|date=12 December 1840|volume=10|issue=13|journal=[[New-York Tribune|The New-Yorker]]|via=[[Google Books]]|quote=The Electors meanwhile held a meeting, and decided that their constituents would be best satisfied, under the circumstances, by their voting for Col. R. M. Johnson for Vice President. Accordingly on the 2d their 23 votes were cast for Martin Van Buren as President, 22 for Col. R. M. Johnson as Vice President and 1 (Arthur Smith of Isle of Wight) for Gov. Jas. K. Polk of Tennessee.}}</ref><ref>Niles National Register, Vol. LIX, December 5, 1840, page 217</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.270towin.com/1840_Election/|title=1840 Presidential Election|access-date=23 November 2020|website=[[270toWin]]}}</ref>{{clarify|date=November 2020|reason=The other electors from Virginia voted for Tazewell for VP. Were the Virginia electors "pledged" to vote for VanBuren and Tazewell, and then Smith voted for Polk? Or were all the electors from Virginia unfaithful on the VP votes?}}{{better source needed|date=November 2020|reason=Can't find the newspaper online; can't find a confirming reliable source. Any scholarly source would be good.}}
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