Final answer:
In the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the Electoral College, leading to a resolution in the House of Representatives and the later adoption of the 12th Amendment, which rectified the voting process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Failed Electoral Strategy of 1800
The election of 1800 unveiled a significant flaw in the design of the Electoral College. During this election, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, both members of the Democratic-Republican Party, received an equal number of electoral votes, leading to a tie. This highlighted the poor mechanism in place for differentiating between presidential and vice-presidential votes, as the Constitution dictated that each elector casts two votes without specifying which was for president and which was for vice president.
To resolve this tie, the decision was made by the House of Representatives. After an intense and prolonged battle in the House, Thomas Jefferson was elected president, aided in part by his longtime rival Alexander Hamilton who influenced some Federalist representatives to vote against Burr. This significant event was referred to as the "Revolution of 1800" due to the peaceful transition of power from one party, the Federalists, to another, the Democratic-Republicans.
The failure of the electoral strategy was addressed by the passage of the 12th Amendment to the Constitution in 1804. This amendment mandated that electors cast separate ballots for president and vice president, resolving the issue and preventing such a tie from occurring in future elections.