1788 to 1789 U.S. presidential election

The first presidential election under the new Constitution ran from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789. There were no national parties and no campaign. States chose presidential electors, some by popular vote and some through their legislatures, and on February 4, 1789, each elector cast two votes. George Washington was named on the ballot of every one of the 69 electors. John Adams of Massachusetts finished second with 34 votes and so became vice president. Congress counted the ballots on April 6, and Washington took the oath in New York City on April 30.¹²

The election existed because of the Constitution drafted in Philadelphia in 1787 and ratified by enough states in 1788. Its framers had argued for months over how to choose an executive, rejecting both election by Congress and a direct national popular vote in favor of the Electoral College, a compromise that gave each state electors equal to its seats in Congress. Everyone knew who the first president would be: Washington's command in the Revolution and his role presiding over the Convention made him the one figure trusted on both sides of the ratification fight.²

Only ten states took part. North Carolina and Rhode Island had not yet ratified, and New York's legislature deadlocked and appointed no electors at all. The system's flaw also showed early: because electors did not vote separately for president and vice president, Alexander Hamilton and other Federalist leaders quietly steered votes away from Adams so he could not accidentally tie Washington. That design problem would explode in 1800. What the election did settle was that power in the new government would pass through a regular, scheduled vote.¹