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Jan. 9, 1969
January 9, 1969

Congress declares Humphrey President, Muskie Vice-President

Today, the House and Senate voted to choose Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie as President and Vice President, respectively. In the House, 27 state delegations supported Humphrey [1][2], one more than the majority needed to secure the Presidency. The remaining 23 delegations voted for his Republican opponent, George Romney, who actually received more electoral votes than Humphrey. In the Senate, Edmund Muskie was easily chosen as Vice President, with the support of 56 Democratic senators. His rival, Ronald Reagan, received the other 43 votes. [3]

Some Republicans, upset by Humphrey’s victory, are calling for an end to the Electoral College, claiming that the system unfairly favors the Democrats. “I believe the events of 1968 constitute the clearest proof that priority must be accorded to Electoral College reform,” said former Vice President Richard Nixon. [4] However, abolishing the Electoral College is not easy, as it would require a constitutional amendment.

[1] There is a relevant thread on this scenario from this very site: https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...tial-election-gets-thrown-to-congress.238056/
[2] The Democrats had control of 26 state delegations, who would likely vote for Humphrey. Even if their state went for Wallace, I think it’s unlikely that southern Democrats would vote for him, as doing so would likely mean a Romney victory. While the House Dixiecrats opposed civil rights, they were still Democrats (Democrats were the dominant party in the south until the 90s). Five states had split delegations: Oregon, Montana, Illinois, Virginia, and Maryland. All except Maryland voted for Nixon in OTL (and Romney in ATL). I assume each state delegation would vote for whoever won the state, though that is not a given. This scenario is explored here: https://www.quora.com/What-would-ha...ey-from-obtaining-270-electoral-votes-in-1968
[3] I assume Muskie would have to recuse himself, so totals add to 99.
[4] https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-electoral-college-history-20161219-story.html
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