In 1824 New York was one of six states whose legislatures, rather than voters, chose presidential electors.1 That March the state Senate voted 16 to 15 that a law should give the people the choice of electors, then postponed the bill until November.2 A newspaper of the time reported that a majority of the legislature favored William H. Crawford.3
When the two houses met in joint ballot in November, 157 votes were cast and 79 were needed for a choice, and members disputed which electors had been chosen.4 The houses then declared elected the 32 candidates who had received 78 votes or more, and met again to ballot for the remaining four.5 The four chosen on that ballot were from the Crawford ticket.6
When the electors voted, New York's 36 votes went 26 to John Quincy Adams, 5 to Crawford, 4 to Henry Clay and 1 to Andrew Jackson.7 No candidate won a majority of electoral votes, and on February 9, 1825, the House elected Adams with the votes of 13 states.8
Because no candidate for President was elected by the people, the election was decided by the House of Representatives. In that vote, John Quincy Adams was elected President with 13 votes. Andrew Jackson received 7 votes and William H. Crawford received 4 votes.
National Archives, Electoral College results for 1824, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.
Sources for each sentence
Each numbered entry quotes the words that support that sentence, as they appear on the linked page.
- Back to sentence 1
Electors were chosen by popular vote in 18 states, while the 6 remaining states employed the older system in which state legislatures selected electors.
prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2020/10/22/the-1824-presidential-election-and-the-corrupt-bargain New York, at this time, was one of five other states whose electors were chosen by the legislature.
elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/3n203z84z - Back to sentence 2
giving to the people the choice of electors by general ticket; and the principle was recognized, Yes 16, Noes 15
elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/3n203z84z that the further consideration of the subject should be POSTPONED till the first Monday in November next!
elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/3n203z84z - Back to sentence 3
A majority in the Legislature, was in favor of Mr. Crawford
elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/3n203z84z - Back to sentence 4
The president of the Senate stated that there were 157 votes given in; and that of these there were three blanks; that it required 79 votes to constitute a choice.
elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/3n203z84z Here a very long and warm debate ensued.
elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/3n203z84z - Back to sentence 5
declared the election of 32 electors, who received 78 votes or upward, in joint ballot and that they would immediately meet the Assembly in the Assembly Chamber to proceed to ballot for the remaining four.
elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/3n203z84z - Back to sentence 6
The four persons named on the Crawford ticket were declared elected.
elections.lib.tufts.edu/catalog/p5547s134 - Back to sentence 7
New Jersey 8 8 - - 8 - - New York 10 36 1 26 9
archives.gov/electoral-college/1824 New York also cast 5 votes for Crawford and 4 for Clay as President.
archives.gov/electoral-college/1824 - Back to sentence 8
Because no candidate for President was elected by the people, the election was decided by the House of Representatives.
archives.gov/electoral-college/1824 John Quincy Adams was certified by the House as the next President on February 9, 1825, on the first ballot with 13 states.
prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2020/10/22/the-1824-presidential-election-and-the-corrupt-bargain
Sources checked on October 3, 2026
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