Lloyd W. Bailey
Lloyd W. Bailey (March 24, 1928 – August 12, 2020
Career
Bailey received a BS degree at
A strong conservative, Bailey became a life member of the John Birch Society in 1961.[7] By 1968 he had joined the Republican Party and become active in it, being chosen as an elector at the state party convention that year.
In the 1968 presidential election, Republican candidates
When confronted about his action, Bailey at first claimed that when he was chosen as an elector by state Republican Party convention, he had not pledged to cast his votes for Nixon and Agnew. Bailey further claimed that since Wallace had won in the district he represented,[10] he was obligated to cast his votes for Wallace and LeMay. He also claimed that he forgot all about it until a party official reminded him of his electoral duties.[8]
Bailey, a staunch conservative and a member of the John Birch Society,
Due to Bailey's actions some members of Congress, most notably
Bailey's actions prompted calls for reform of the system. Polls at the time showed that the vast majority of Americans, over 70%,[5] would support replacing the Electoral College with popular, direct voting as advocated by Senator Birch Bayh (D-IN), or retaining electoral votes without the electors, as proposed by Congressman Hale Boggs (D-LA).[5]
In 1969, in response to Bailey's vote, North Carolina passed a law requiring electors to vote for the nominee of their party.[13]
In 2008, at the age of 80, Bailey was appointed to the JBS Council.[7]
References
- ^ "Lloyd Whitfield Bailey M.D." Archived from the original on 9 November 2020.
- New York Times. 18 December 1968. p. 46. Archivedfrom the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Stephen E. Haberfeld (January 1969). "The Problem of the Faithless Elector". Harvard Journal on Legislation. 6 (2): 254 – via HeinOnline.
- ^ "Electoral College Vote Affirms Nixon Position". Daily Universe. p. 8.
- ^ a b c d e "Reminder for Reform". TIME Magazine. January 17, 1969. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
- ^ Politics in America (IV ed.). p. 48.
- ^ Google Cache, Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b c d e "Tales of the Unfaithful Electors: Dr. Lloyd W. Bailey". EC: The US Electoral College Web Zine. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
- ^ "Presidential Election 1968 States Carried". United States Presidential Elections. HistoryCentral.com. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "Challenge to the Faithless Elector". Congressional Record (Senate). January 3, 1969. p. 9. Retrieved May 18, 2008.
- ^ Securing Democracy. p. 149.
- Washington Post. Archivedfrom the original on 9 November 2020.
- ^ "North Carolina electors maintain old tradition". p. F-28.