In 1887, President Grover Cleveland would sign the Electoral Count Act into law, expressly to ensure the fiasco of a decade prior could never repeat. Hereafter, Congress would have to be in session at one o’clock on the afternoon of January 6 following every presidential election to formalize the results; representatives and senators would have limited authority to challenge certificates submitted by states; the vice president would serve as presiding officer but, likewise, not have the power to invalidate election returns.
“Should another Presidential crisis ever confront the country, this new law will be found of vital importance,” predicted the San Francisco Examiner.
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