their ballots for Washington and Adams. John Langdon, first President pro tem of the Senate, and Paine Wingate were elected senators. The choice of Wingate was made after the Senate had refused to concur in the House's nomination of Nathaniel Peabody, and after Josiah Bartlett had been chosen and had resigned. New Hampshire was represented in the first Congress by Federalists.
Virginia passed an act, November 17, 1788, which provided for a popular election of electors, and made similar provision for representatives, on November 20.[1] The State was divided into twelve districts, each of which chose one electors. All those who were qualified to vote for members of the Virginia General Assembly were to vote at their respective court houses on the first Wednesday in January "for some discreet and proper person, being a freeholder, and bona fide resident in such district for twelve months." An elector who without excuse failed to vote forfeited two hundred pounds. The electors were allowed ferriage and five pence a mile for traveling expenses, and two shillings a day for attendance. A fine of five hundred pounds was the penalty for giving a voter "money, meat, drink or other reward." For the purpose of electing representatives the State was divided into ten districts. The electorate here consisted of all those qualified to vote for members of the Virginia House of Delegates; and the qualifications for a representative were the same as those for an elector. The date of the election, February 2, 1789, was almost a month later than that for electors.
There was much rivalry between the two parties. Each
