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VT Attorney General

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United States > Vermont > Attorney General

Office

Attorney General

Honorific

Attorney General - Abbr: Attorney General

Type

General Election

Filing Deadline

July 01, 1912 - 12:00pm Central

Polls Open

September 03, 1912 - 07:00am Central

Polls Close

September 03, 1912 - 10:30am Central

Term Start

October 13, 1912 - 12:00pm

Term End

January 03, 1915 - 12:00pm

Contributor

Joshua L.

Last Modified

RBH February 08, 2013 09:30pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

Rufus E. Brown fell 3,327 votes short of a majority in the General Election of 1912. The joint assembly convened on October 2 to hear the report of the canvassing committee and, in the case of the office of Attorney General, to vote by joint ballot for the three candidates who received the greatest number of votes. On the first ballot, when the ballots were taken and counted, the result was as follows:

Total votes cast: 263
Percent: 100

Necessary for election: 132
50 plus 1 vote

Rufus E. Brown had: 189
71.9%

Burton Bailey had: 53
20.2%

Richard A. Hoar had: 21
8.0%

Rufus E. Brown was declared to be the Attorney General of the State of Vermont for the two years next ensuing.

**Final note on 1912: The practice of 1912, unlike 1974, was to hear the report of the canvassing committee for each office in turn, and then elect to fill that office before going on the another office.

The fact that the number of members present for these votes fluctuates from office to office and that the number necessary for election changes accordingly reveals the belief that what is required to win is a majority of those present and voting.

In 1912, there were 32 Progressives in the House. It may be no coincidence that Frazer Metzer received 32 votes for Governor in the joint assembly. Because the votes were taken by secret ballot, however, we cannot tell how any particular member voted.

[Link]