When Congress counted the electoral votes of the 1872 election in February 1873, the votes from Arkansas were not counted.1 Senator Benjamin F. Rice of Arkansas objected that the people certified by the Arkansas secretary of state had not in fact been elected as electors.2 He also objected that the returns read in the joint session were not certified according to law.3
The papers held a statement of the vote signed by the electors and a certificate from the secretary of state, but no certificate from the governor, and there was doubt whether the seal on them was the state's great seal.4 The House voted 103 to 26 to count the Arkansas vote.5 The Senate took the opposite view, resolving by 28 votes to 24 that the vote should not be counted.6 Under the joint rule then in force, votes on which the two houses disagreed could not be counted, so the Arkansas vote was left out.7
The outcome did not change: Ulysses S. Grant received 286 of the 352 electoral votes that were counted.8 The National Archives summary of the 1872 results describes the matter differently, saying that Arkansas and Louisiana were unable to certify their results and did not submit electoral votes to be counted.9
1 Horace Greeley died November 29, 1872, after the election, but before the meeting of the electors. By resolution of the House, the 3 electoral votes cast for him were not counted.
2 Following Greeley's death, electors in several states cast their votes variously for President or Vice President. Benjamin Gratz Brown, Greeley's running mate, received 18 electoral votes for President and 47 electoral votes for Vice President. Several others received electoral votes for either President or Vice President.
3 Vice President Henry Wilson died in Washington, D.C., on November 22, 1875.
National Archives, Electoral College results for 1872, 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
In 1873 objection was made both to the substance and form of the electoral certificate of Arkansas; and, the two Houses disagreeing, the vote was not counted.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm Congressional Globe , vol. 46 (February 12, 1873), pp. 1305-1306.
everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32717.html - Back to sentence 2
Mr. Rice objects to counting the vote of the State of Arkansas
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm the persons certified to by the secretary of state as elected were not elected as electors for President and Vice-President
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 3
second, because the returns read by the tellers are not certified according to law.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 4
there was a statement of the vote signed by the electors and a certificate of the secretary of state as to who were electors.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm But there was no certificate from the governor, and there was doubt about the seal attached being the great seal of the State.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 5
offered the following resolution, which was agreed to, yeas 103, nays 26: Resolved, That the electoral vote of Arkansas be counted.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 6
Resolved, That the electoral vote of Arkansas should not be counted. The amendment was agreed to, yeas 28, nays 25, and then the resolution in the amended form was agreed to, yeas 28, nays 24.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 7
the nonconcurrence of the two Houses having been reported, the vote of Arkansas was not counted, under the terms of the joint rule.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 8
He received 286 electoral votes out of the 352 electoral votes counted, or out of the potential 364 electoral votes if the contested votes from Arkansas and Louisiana were included in the whole number.
everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32717.html - Back to sentence 9
Arkansas and Louisiana were unable to certify their election results and did not submit any electoral votes to be counted.
archives.gov/electoral-college/1872
Sources checked on October 3, 2026
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