A role for the House of Representatives instead
Commentary
Though the Senate was originally set to make the choice of President if the votes of the Electors were tied, this was switched to the House of Representatives on a motion from Sherman. The House was considered to be more democratic and less 'aristocratic' (as stated by Mason), and therefore this choice suggests that there was a recognition that the election of the President should be as much tied to the will of 'We the People' as possible, whilst still respecting the concerns of some amongst the delegates that the people as a whole would be under-informed and easily swayed.
Second Report of the Grand Committee on Postponed Questions: Fourth Clause - Remaining Parts: Sherman to Replace Senate with House of Representatives was proposed
on 06 September 1787
Approved for publication
None
A role for the House of Representatives instead by Kat Howarth (KatHowarth)
The Creation of the Electoral College
Cite as: Kat Howarth, ‘A role for the House of Representatives instead’ in N. P. Cole, Grace Mallon and Kat Howarth, The Creation of the Electoral College, Quill Project at Pembroke College (Oxford, 2016), item 80.