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How did George Washington get elected to be the first president?

By , About.com Guide

Question: How did George Washington get elected to be the first president?
Answer: There was no popular vote in the election of 1789. Instead, the electoral college chose from a group of candidates. Each college member cast two votes with the candidate receiving the most votes becoming president and the runner-up becoming vice-president. George Washington was elected unanimously receiving all sixty-nine electoral votes. John Adams came in second and became the first Vice-President.

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