United States House Committee on Elections

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

Contents

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

1st Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

3rd session

2nd Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

3rd Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

4th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

5th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

3rd session

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

6th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

7th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

8th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

9th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

10th Congress

1st and 2nd sessions

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

11th Congress

1st and 2nd sessions

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

3rd session

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

12th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

13th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

3rd session

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

14th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

15th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

16th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

17th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

18th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

19th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

20th Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

21st Congress

1st and 2nd sessions

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

22nd Congress

1st and 2nd sessions

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

23rd Congress

1st session

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

2nd session

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

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References

  1. ↑ Annals of the Congress of the United States, 1st Cong., 1st sess., April 13, 1789, p. 122.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Cases of Contested Elections in Congress, from the year 1789 to 1834, inclusive. United States House of Representatives. 1834.
  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.
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