Watson v. Republican National Committee · ¶13
Allegations of fraud continued to plague the election of Representatives, which still took place on different days in different States. See Cong. Globe, 42d Cong., 2d Sess., 618 (1872); H. R. Rep. No. 31, 40th Cong., 3d Sess., pt. 2, pp. 77– 78 (1869). Having one election day for the President and another for Representatives was also burdensome, because citizens were “forced to turn out” to the polls on “two different election days.” Foster, 522 U. S., at 73–74. Plus, the results in States with early elections could influence voting in States that lagged behind. Ibid. So in 1872, Congress intervened again, mandating that the election of Representatives also take place on a single day—the same Tuesday specified in the Presidential election-day statute. Act of Feb. 2, 1872, ch. 11, §3, 17 Stat. 28. After the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment, Congress required Senators to be…Read in context ›
slip opinion
Source edition
Passage preview. Read in context for the complete text, notes and references.