How did the twelfth amendment change the electoral process?

Answer 1

It provided that the Electors should vote separately for President and Vice President. Previously the VP had been the runner-up in the Presidential election (each elector having two votes). In 1796 this resulted in a Federalist President (Adams) having a Democratic-Republican VP (Jefferson). In 1800, determination to avoid this led to a tie between the DR Presidential candidate (Jefferson) and VP candidate (Aaron Burr); hence the change.

Answer 2

Before the 12th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution was ratified in the spring of 1804, there was no separate election for the Vice President. All potential Presidents and Vice Presidents were on the same ballot. Each elector cast two votes for President. If one candidate received votes from an absolute majority of the electors, he became the President. Whoever had the second-highest total of electoral votes became the Vice President. Beginning in 1804, the President and Vice President are elected separately; each elector casts one vote for President and one vote for Vice President. Also beginning in 1804, a Vice Presidential candidate requires an absolute majority of electoral votes to win. Proposal of the amendment resulted from problems with the previous two elections.

Although not official before 1804, each of the main Presidential candidates had his own Vice Presidential running mate. In the 1800 election, Thomas Jefferson received the votes of 52.9% of the electors, eight more votes than his opponent, incumbent President John Adams. However, every elector who voted for Vice President Jefferson voted for his running mate, Aaron Burr, as well, so they ended up tied. The law did not recognize Burr as the Vice Presidential candidate, so the House of Representatives had to vote to break the tie. Although it was understood that Burr was intended as the Vice Presidential candidate, Jefferson's opponents voted for Burr. 36 votes were taken before Jefferson finally received the votes of the required two thirds majority of the states.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were opponents also in 1796. Jefferson's running mate was Aaron Burr, and Adams' running mate was Thomas Pinckney. The required majority of votes was received by Vice President Adams, but it was his rival, former Sec. of State Thomas Jefferson, rather than his running mate, who finished second and, therefore, became Vice President.

Answer 3

The 12th admendment changed how the Electoral college voted.

Answer 4

It established separate ballots for the President and Vice President in the electoral college.