Election of 1860 - N.J. split electoral vote and fusion tickets

Michael19103

Cadet
Joined
Aug 14, 2008
Location
Philadelphia
Hi - something I've never seen an explanation of: New Jersey splitting its electoral vote 4 to 3 (Lincoln/Douglas). I know there are a couple of states today (Maine and Nebraska) that award electoral votes by Congressional district, with the two "spares" going to the statewide winner (not that it's made a difference recently), but I've never seen that or any other explanation for New Jersey doing it that way then. And at some point, someone needs to explain how fusion tickets worked: were they initiated BY the candidates, who presumably would have withdrawn their separate tickets, so that you would have seen on the ballot in those states just Lincoln and fusion?
And to what extent, fusion aside, were Douglas and Breckenridge on the ballot in "each other's" regions - were there two rival Democratic tickets (& if so two sets of House candidates) in every state before the fusion movement kicked in?
I've read a bit about that election, and recently so, but I've never seen all of this spelled out.
 
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