Rutherford B. Hayes carried Oregon in 1876: his electors J. C. Cartwright, W. H. Odell and J. W. Watts received 15,214, 15,206 and 15,206 votes, while E. A. Cronin received 14,157.1 Because the Constitution bars federal officeholders from serving as electors, the state's Democratic governor disqualified Watts and certified Cronin, a Tilden elector, instead.2 The secretary of state's canvass, filed on December 4, 1876, showed Cartwright, Odell and Watts with the most votes.3
Watts had already resigned as postmaster, and on December 6, when the electors met, he resigned as elector and the other electors chose him to fill the vacancy.4 Cartwright and Odell refused to act with Cronin, who appointed two other men to fill the places.5 Odell, Cartwright and Watts voted for Hayes, while Cronin's group cast two votes for Hayes and one for Samuel J. Tilden.6
The Electoral Commission, in a report signed by its eight concurring members, found that the votes of Odell, Cartwright and Watts were the ones to count.7 It held that the governor had acted without authority of law, and that Watts's resignations made his time as postmaster immaterial.8 The House voted not to count Watts's vote, but the Senate let the decision stand, so Hayes received all 3 of Oregon's votes.9
The electoral votes of four states were disputed. Congress referred the matter to the Electoral Commission, which it established for the sole purpose of determining the winner of the election. The Electoral Commission gave the decision to Rutherford B. Hayes.
National Archives, Electoral College results for 1876, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.
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Each numbered entry quotes the words that support that sentence, as they appear on the linked page.
- Back to sentence 1
J. C. Cartwright, W. H. Odell, and J. W. Watts had received, respectively, 15,214 and 15,206 and 15,206 votes as electors, and that E. A. Cronin received 14,157 votes
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm Hayes won the state, but one of the Republican electors, John W. Watts, was also postmaster
millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/disputed-election-1876 - Back to sentence 2
the US Constitution forbids federal officeholders from being electors.
millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/disputed-election-1876 the governor of Oregon who was a Democrat, disqualified Watts and instead certified a Tilden elector.
millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/disputed-election-1876 - Back to sentence 3
the secretary made a canvass and a tabulated statement of the votes, showing this result, which, according to law, he placed on file in his office on the 4th day of December, A. D. 1876.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 4
that said Watts had, previous to December 6, 1876, resigned as postmaster
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm did on the day of the assembling of the electors to cast their votes, December 6, 1876, resign as an elector, and was by the votes of the other electors chosen to fill the vacancy
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 5
That when the electors met Cartwright and Odell refused to act with Cronin, whereupon the latter appointed J. N. T. Miller and John Parker to fill the vacancies.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 6
That Odell, Cartwright, and Watts certified their votes for Hayes and Wheeler
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm That Cronin, Miller, and Parker certified that they cast two votes for Hayes and Wheeler and one vote for Tilden and Hendricks
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 7
the report of the Electoral Commission signed by the eight concurring Commissioners. They found that the votes of Odell, Cartwright, and Watts were those provided for by the Constitution of the United States
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 8
the act of the governor of Oregon in giving to E. A. Cronin a certificate of his election, though he received a thousand votes less than Watts, on the ground that the latter was ineligible was without authority of law
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm that fact is rendered immaterial by his resignation both as postmaster and elector and his subsequent appointment to fill the vacancy
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm - Back to sentence 9
The Senate had determined that the decision should stand and the House that the vote given by J. W. Watts should not be counted.
govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3/html/GPO-HPREC-HINDS-V3-10.htm Ohio 22 22 - 22 - Oregon* 3 3 - 3 - Pennsylvania 29
archives.gov/electoral-college/1876
Sources checked on October 3, 2026
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