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1861 Confederate States presidential election
The 1861 Confederate States presidential election of November 6, 1861, was the first and only presidential election held under the Permanent Constitution of the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis, who had been elected president and Alexander H. Stephens, who had been elected vice president, under the Provisional Constitution, were elected to six-year terms that would have lasted from February 22, 1862, until February 22, 1868. Both Davis and Stephens' offices were abolished on May 5, 1865, when the Confederate government dissolved, however, and so were unable to finish their terms. BackgroundThe Provisional Congress of the Confederate States met at Montgomery, Alabama, on February 4, 1861. They adopted a provisional constitution on February 8, 1861. On February 9, 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected Provisional President and Alexander H. Stephens was elected Provisional Vice President. Stephens took office on February 11 and Davis took office on February 18, 1861. On March 11, 1861, a permanent Constitution was adopted.[1] Constitutional ProvisionsArticle II Section 1(1) reads: "The executive power shall be vested in a President of the Confederate States of America. He and the Vice President shall hold their offices for the term of six years; but the President shall not be re-eligible."[2] Article II Section 1(7) of the Confederate Constitution provides citizenship to people "born in the United States prior to the 20th of December, 1860" and also requires candidates for the President of the Confederacy to have resided "within the limits of the Confederate States" for 14 years.[2] Article VII Section 1(2) includes instructions for electing permanent officials after the ratification of the Confederate Constitution:
LegislationOn May 21, 1861, the Congress of the Confederacy passed "An Act to put in operation the Government under the Permanent Constitution of the Confederate States of America".[3] It includes the following provisions:
General electionCampaignDavis and Stephens ran without opposition, although Alexander Stephens was a write-in candidate in several states. ResultsThe election effectively confirmed the decision that had been made by the Provisional Confederate Congress earlier in the year. Davis remained President until May 5, 1865, when the Confederate government was officially dissolved.[4]
Source (Popular Vote): CSA President - Popular Vote. Our Campaigns. (August 30, 2012). (a) Totals reflect the popular vote in North Carolina only. Electoral College The Confederate States Electoral College was the institution that elected the president and vice president for a six-year term without possibility of re-election for the president. The president and vice president were not elected directly by the voters. Instead, they were elected by electors who were chosen by popular vote on a state-by-state basis, with the exception of South Carolina, where the electors were chosen by the state legislature.[5] This system was established by the Constitution of the Confederate States, in emulation of the United States Constitution. Like the U.S. Constitution, the Confederate Constitution provided that each state would have a number of electors "equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress" (Article II, Section 1). The Electoral College consisted of 109 electors.[6] The electors (chosen in the November 6 elections) met in their respective states to cast their votes on December 4, 1861 (Confederate law mandated that electors meet on the first Wednesday in December). The Congress met in joint session on February 19, 1862, and certified the result.[7] Davis and Stephens were inaugurated on February 22, 1862. Key dates
Official sourcesJournal of the Congress of the Confederate States of America, 1861–1865 [Volume 5], Journal of the House of Representatives of the First Congress of the Confederate States of America, Second Day—Wednesday, February 19, 1862, page 12 and page 13 References
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