John Adams certifies the electoral votes from Philadelphia in 1792

In 1789, George Washington was elected the first president of the United States, and Adams became the first vice president. One of the duties of the vice president is to preside as president of the U.S. Senate and to cast tie-breaking votes. Adams did so on a variety of issues, supporting U.S. neutrality in the new war between France and Britain and the controversial financial measures proposed by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. Washington, who had originally wanted to retire after his first presidential term, decided to run again at the last minute in order to try to halt the rise of political partisanship and parties. The Democratic-Republican opposition was aware of Washington’s obvious and undiminished popularity and, being at the time outnumbered by the Federalists, didn’t oppose his reelection. Adams, on the other hand, had alienated many of the Jeffersonians and there was a concerted behind-the-scenes campaign to replace him with George Clinton of New York.

At the election in November, 1792, presidential electors were chosen from the fifteen states; some were appointed by their state legislatures, others elected by popular vote. The Vice President was elected independently of the President back then. On December 5, the electors cast their ballots for both, as required by law. These were formally transmitted to Vice President Adams in his capacity as President of the U.S. Senate. He would count them.

This is the original, official acknowledgement that Adams had received the ballots of Connecticut. Perhaps unaware that the sealed envelope containing the enclosed electoral votes were unanimous in supporting his own re-election, Adams wrote from Philadelphia:

Autograph Letter Signed, Philadelphia, December 14, 1792, to Enoch Parsons, a Connecticut state official who had been Sheriff of Middlesex County.

"Received from the hand of Enoch Parsons, Esq. a Packet certified by the Electors of Connecticut to contain a List of their Votes for President and Vice President of the United States. John Adams, President of the Senate of the United States."

In February, 1793, the electoral vote was tabulated by Congress. Once again George Washington received a vote on every elector’s ballot, giving him 132 votes and his second unanimous presidential election.

Adams received 77 votes, including all of Connecticut’s ballots, while his opponent Clinton got 50. Thus the electoral votes of Connecticut accounted for 1/3 of Adams¹ margin of re-election.