United States House Committee on Elections

Summary

The United States House Committee on Elections is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.

Article 1, section 5, of the Constitution of the United States specifies: "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own Members." The Committee on Elections was established as the first standing committee of the House to perform this function on April 13, 1789, just two weeks after the first quorum allowed the House of Representatives to organize itself. Rule number 7 of the first rules adopted by the House of Representatives specifies the character and jurisdiction of the committee:

7. A standing Committee on Elections shall be appointed, to consist of seven members, it shall be the duty of the said committee to examine and report upon the certificates of election, or other credentials of the members returned to serve in this House, and to take into their consideration all such matters as shall or may come in question, and be referred to them by the House, touching returns and elections, and to report their proceedings, with their opinion thereupon, to the House.[1]

From 1789 until the mid-19th century the number of contested election cases remained stable at an average of three per Congress. After the 34th Congress (1855–57) the number of contested seats rose sporadically to a peak of 38 during the 54th Congress (1895–97). In 1895, due to the increase in workload, the committee was split into three separate committees: Elections #1, Elections #2, and Elections #3. After 1935 the number of contested elections returned to an average of three per Congress, and in 1947 the three Elections Committees were abolished and their jurisdiction included in that of the new House Administration Committee.

In November 2018, Nancy Pelosi announced her intention to restore the Elections Subcommittee of the Committee on House Administration in the 116th Congress and name Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge the Chair.

Historical committee rosters edit

1st Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Pro-Administration)[2] Minority (Anti-Administration)
  • none

2nd session edit

Majority (Pro-Administration)[3] Minority (Anti-Administration)

3rd session edit

2nd Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Pro-Administration)[2] Minority (Anti-Administration)

2nd session edit

3rd Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Anti-Administration)[2] Minority (Pro-Administration)

2nd session edit

Majority (Anti-Administration)[4] Minority (Pro-Administration)

4th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[5] Minority (Federalist)

5th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Federalist)[2] Minority (Democratic-Republican)

2nd session edit

Majority (Federalist)[6] Minority (Democratic-Republican)

3rd session edit

Majority (Federalist)[7] Minority (Democratic-Republican)

6th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Federalist)[8] Minority (Democratic-Republican)

2nd session edit

Majority (Federalist)[9] Minority (Democratic-Republican)

7th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[10] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

8th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

9th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

10th Congress edit

1st and 2nd sessions edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2][11] Minority (Federalist)

11th Congress edit

1st and 2nd sessions edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2][12] Minority (Federalist)

3rd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[13] Minority (Federalist)

12th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[14] Minority (Federalist)

13th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[15] Minority (Federalist)

3rd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[16] Minority (Federalist)

14th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

15th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[17] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[18] Minority (Federalist)

16th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[19] Minority (Federalist)
  • none

17th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)
  • none

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[20] Minority (Federalist)

18th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[2] Minority (Federalist)
  • none

2nd session edit

Majority (Democratic-Republican)[21] Minority (Federalist)
  • none

19th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Anti-Jacksonian)[2] Minority (Jacksonian)

2nd session edit

Majority (Anti-Jacksonian)[22] Minority (Jacksonian)

20th Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Jacksonian)[23] Minority (Anti-Jacksonian)

2nd session edit

Majority (Jacksonian)[24] Minority (Anti-Jacksonian)

21st Congress edit

1st and 2nd sessions edit

Majority (Jacksonian)[25][26] Minority (Anti-Jacksonian)

22nd Congress edit

1st and 2nd sessions edit

Majority (Jacksonian)[2][27] Minority (Anti-Jacksonian)

23rd Congress edit

1st session edit

Majority (Jacksonian)[2] Minority (Anti-Jacksonian)

2nd session edit

Majority (Jacksonian)[28] Minority (Anti-Jacksonian)

External links edit

  • Committee on Elections at NARA

References edit

  1. ^ Annals of the Congress of the United States, 1st Cong., 1st sess., April 13, 1789, p. 122.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Cases of Contested Elections in Congress, from the year 1789 to 1834, inclusive. Printed by Gales and Seaton. 1834. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 1. 1790. p. 150.
  4. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 2. 1794. p. 224.
  5. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 2. 1796. p. 607.
  6. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 3. 1797. p. 81.
  7. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 3. 1798. p. 400.
  8. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 3. 1799. p. 529.
  9. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 3. 1800. p. 722.
  10. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 4. 1801. p. 6.
  11. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 6. 1808. p. 340.
  12. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 7. 1809. p. 107.
  13. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 7. 1810. p. 436.
  14. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 8. 1812. p. 543.
  15. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 9. 1813. p. 168.
  16. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 9. 1814. p. 452.
  17. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 11. 1817. p. 18.
  18. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 12. 1818. p. 8.
  19. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 14. 1820. p. 9.
  20. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 16. 1822. p. 18.
  21. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 18. 1824. p. 26.
  22. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 20. 1826. p. 23.
  23. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 21. 1827. p. 25.
  24. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 22. 1828. p. 21.
  25. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 23. 1829. p. 29.
  26. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 24. 1830. p. 34.
  27. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 26. 1832. p. 2.
  28. ^ Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. 28. 1834. p. 33.