Was the election of George Washington actually a fair election?

Question

who did he run against, and what was the vote count?

Answer 1

Yes it was fair. Everyone knew that he was going to be the first president. The vote was largely for show.

For all intents and purposes, George Washington ran unopposed for election as President. Under the system then in place, each voting elector cast two votes, and the recipient of the greatest number of votes was elected President, providing they equaled or exceeded half the total number of electors. The runner-up became Vice President. At that time, the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution had not been passed and thus the electoral system for that era differs from most elections. Washington was now very popular, as he successfully presided over the Philadelphia Convention and made the US, which was weakened by the Articles of Confederation, much stronger through the new US Constitution.

Candidates:

John Adams, former Minister to Great Britain from Massachusetts

James Armstrong, politician from Georgia

George Clinton, Governor of New York

Robert H. Harrison, judge from Maryland

John Hancock, Governor of Massachusetts and former President of Congress

Samuel Huntington, Governor of Connecticut

John Jay, Secretary of Foreign Affairs from New York

Benjamin Lincoln, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

John Milton, Secretary of State of Georgia

John Rutledge, former Governor of South Carolina

Edward Telfair, former governor of Georgia

George Washington, retired Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army from Virginia

Answer 2

History has it that GW had no opponent and therefore was unanimously "voted" into the position. Undocumented rumors indicate that Florida may have votes not tabulated because of some chit problem.

Answer 3

George Washington has led the fight for independence and he has no worthy opponent for the Presidency.

Answer 4

Oops... nothing to see here...