Final answer:
Before the 17th Amendment, senators were not directly elected by the people. Instead, they were appointed or selected by state legislatures. When a senator resigned, the power to appoint or replace them rested with the state legislatures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before the 17th Amendment was passed in 1913, senators were not directly elected by the people. Instead, they were appointed or selected by state legislatures. When a senator resigned, the power to appoint or replace them rested with the state legislatures. However, some states allowed the governor to make temporary appointments until a special election could be held to fill the vacancy.