ELECTORS OF PRESIDENT. Persons elected by the people, whose sole duty is to elect a president and vice-president of the U. S.
2. The Constitution provides, Am. art. 12, that "the electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot1 for president and vice-president, one of whom at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots2 the person voted for as president, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as vice-president; and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted fur as president, and of all persons voted for as vice-president, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and certify3, and transmit, sealed, to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the president of the senate; the president of the senate shall, in the presence of the senate and the house of representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted; the person having the greatest number of, votes for president, shall be the president, if such number be the majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no, person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for as president, the house of representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the president. But in choosing the president, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum4, for this purpose, shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the house of representatives shall not choose a president whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the vice-president shall act as president, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the president.
3. - 2. "The person having the greatest number of votes as vice-president shall be vice-president, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed and if no person have a majority, them from the two highest numbers on the list, the senate shall choose the vice-president; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible5 to the office of president, shall be eligible6 to that of vice-president of the United States." Vide 3 Story, Const. §1448 to 1470.
ELEEMOSYNARY. Charitable alms-giving.
2. Eleemosynary corporations are colleges, schools, and hospitals. 1 Wood. Lect. 474; Skinn. 447 1 Lord Raym. 5 2 T. R. 346.
ELEGIT, Eng. practice, remedies. A writ7 of execution directed to the sheriff, commanding him to make delivery of a moiety8 of the party s land, and all his goods, beasts of the plough only excepted.
2. The sheriff, on the receipt of the writ, holds an inquest to ascertain9 the value of the lands and goods he has seized, and then they are delivered to the plaintiff, who retains them until the whole debt and damages have been paid and satisfied; during that term he is called tenant10 by elegit. Co. Litt. 289. Vide Pow. Mortg. Index, h. t.; Wats. Sher. 206. As to the law of the several states on the subject. of seizing land and extending it. see 1 Hill. Ab. 556-6.
ELIGIBILITY11. Capacity to be elected.
2. Citizens are in general eligible to all offices; the exceptions arise from the want of those qualifications which the constitution requires; these are such as regard his person, his property, or relations to the state.
3.- 1. In. general, no person is eligible to any office, until he has attained12 the full age of twenty-one years; no one can be elected a senator of the United States, who shall not have attained the age of thirty years, been a citizen of th e United States nine years and who shall not be an inhabitant of the, state for which he shall be chosen. Const. art. 1, s. 3. No person, except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption13 of this constitution, is eligible to the office of president, and no person shall be eligible to that office, who shall not have attained the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States. Const. art. 2, s. 1.
4. - 2. A citizen may be ineligible in consequence of his relations to the state; for example, holding an office incompatible14 with the office sought. Vide Ineligibility15. Because he has not paid the taxes the law requires; because he has not resided a sufficient length of time in the state.
5. - 3. He may be ineligible for want of certain property qualifications required by some, law.
