Elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...

for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

for the 2nd Congress were held in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

beginning October 4, 1790, with subsequent elections held in four districts due to a majority not being achieved on the first ballot.

Background

In the previous election, 6 Pro-Administration and 2

Anti-Administration The Anti-Administration Party was an informal political faction in the United States led by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson that opposed policies of then Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in the first term of US President George W ...

Representatives had been elected. One representative,

George Partridge George Partridge (February 8, 1740 – July 7, 1828) was an American teacher and politician. He represented Massachusetts as a delegate to the Continental Congress and as a Representative in the U.S. House. Background Partridge was born in Du ...

(P) of the resigned August 14, 1790. His seat was vacant at the time of the 1790 elections, so that there were 5 Pro-Administration and 2 Anti-Administration incumbents, all of whom ran for re-election. Three candidates ran in districts with different numbers from the previous election. It is not clear from the source used whether there was redistricting or if the districts had simply been renumbered. Massachusetts law at the time required a majority for election. This occurred on the first ballot in the , , and districts. In the remaining four districts additional elections were required. In the and districts, a majority was achieved on the 2nd ballot. In the , a majority was achieved on the 4th ballot, while in the district, 9 ballots were required.

First Ballot

The first ballot was held on October 4, 1790. Four representatives, from the , , , and districts won on the first ballot.

Second ballot

The second ballot was held in the , , , and districts on November 26, 1790. A majority was achieved in the 5th and 7th districts on the second ballot

Third ballot

The third ballot was held in the and districts on January 25, 1791. Neither district achieved a majority on this ballot.

Fourth ballot

The fourth ballot was held in the and districts on April 4, 1791. A majority was achieved in the 8th district.

Fifth ballot

The fifth ballot was held in the on September 8, 1791. A majority was not achieved. This was the last ballot before the first session of the 2nd Congress began on October 24, 1791. The 6th district was still vacant at the start of the 1st session.

Sixth ballot

The sixth ballot was held in the on November 11, 1791. A majority was not achieved.

Seventh ballot

The seventh ballot was held in the on December 26, 1791. A majority was not achieved.

Eighth ballot

The eighth ballot was held in the on December 26, 1791, during the 1st session of the 2nd Congress.

Ninth ballot

The ninth and final ballot was held in the on April 2, 1792, near the end of the 1st session of the 2nd Congress.

Notes

References

* Electoral data are fro
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{{Massachusetts elections 1790