In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the electoral votes from the states of Missouri and Illinois by very narrow margins. If the opposing candidate, Richard Nixon, had won these electoral votes, neither candidate would have received a majority. In this instance, who would have decided the winner of the election?
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In this instance, if neither candidate had received a majority of the electoral votes, the winner of the election would have been determined by the House of Representatives. According to the United States Constitution, in the event that no candidate receives an absolute majority of the electoral votes, the House of Representatives is responsible for choosing the President.
Here is how the process works:
1. The House of Representatives would vote to select the President, but with a twist: Instead of each House member having an individual vote, each state delegation in the House has one collective vote. This means that all members from each state collectively decide how to cast their state's vote.
2. Each state delegation receives one vote, regardless of the number of representatives from that state. This means that a state with a large population counts the same as a state with a smaller population.
3. To win the presidency, a candidate must receive the votes of a majority of state delegations, which means receiving the votes of at least 26 out of the 50 states.
4. In the event of a tie or if no candidate receives the support of a majority of state delegations, the House continues to vote until a candidate receives the necessary majority of state votes.
So, if neither John F. Kennedy nor Richard Nixon had received a majority because Nixon won the electoral votes of Missouri and Illinois, the House of Representatives would have decided the winner of the election based on the votes of state delegations.