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2. Delaware 1789 Coroner, Sussex County
3. Delaware 1789 Council, Kent County
4. Delaware 1789 Council, Sussex County
5. Delaware 1789 Electoral College
6. Delaware 1789 House of Representatives, Kent County
7. Delaware 1789 House of Representatives, Sussex County
8. Delaware 1789 Sheriff, Kent County
9. Delaware 1789 Sheriff, Sussex County
10. Delaware 1789 U.S. House of Representatives
11. Delaware 1790 U.S. House of Representatives
12. Delaware 1791 Constitutional Convention, Kent County
13. Delaware 1791 Constitutional Convention, New Castle County
14. Delaware 1791 Constitutional Convention, Sussex County
15. Delaware 1791 Coroner, Kent County
16. Delaware 1791 Coroner, New Castle County
17. Delaware 1791 Coroner, Sussex County
18. Delaware 1791 Council, Kent County
19. Delaware 1791 Council, New Castle County
20. Delaware 1791 Council, Sussex County
21. Delaware 1791 House of Representatives, Kent County
22. Delaware 1791 House of Representatives, New Castle County
23. Delaware 1791 House of Representatives, Sussex County
24. Delaware 1791 Sheriff, Kent County
25. Delaware 1791 Sheriff, New Castle County
26. Delaware 1791 Sheriff, Sussex County
27. Delaware 1792 Coroner, New Castle County
28. Delaware 1792 Governor
29. Delaware 1792 House of Representatives, Kent County
30. Delaware 1792 House of Representatives, New Castle County
31. Delaware 1792 Sheriff, Kent County
32. Delaware 1792 Sheriff, New Castle County
33. Delaware 1792 State Senate, Kent County
34. Delaware 1792 State Senate, New Castle County
35. Delaware 1792 U.S. House of Representatives
36. Delaware 1794 Coroner, New Castle County
37. Delaware 1794 House of Representatives, Kent County
38. Delaware 1794 House of Representatives, New Castle County
39. Delaware 1794 House of Representatives, Sussex County
40. Delaware 1794 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
41. Delaware 1794 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
42. Delaware 1794 Sheriff, Kent County
43. Delaware 1794 Sheriff, New Castle County
44. Delaware 1794 Sheriff, Sussex County
45. Delaware 1794 State Senate, Kent County
46. Delaware 1794 State Senate, New Castle County
47. Delaware 1794 State Senate, Sussex County
48. Delaware 1794 U.S. House of Representatives
49. Delaware 1795 Governor
50. Delaware 1795 House of Representatives, New Castle County
51. Delaware 1795 House of Representatives, Sussex County
52. Delaware 1795 State Senate, New Castle County
53. Delaware 1795 State Senate, Sussex County
54. Delaware 1796 House of Representatives, Kent County
55. Delaware 1796 House of Representatives, New Castle County
56. Delaware 1796 House of Representatives, Sussex County
57. Delaware 1796 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
58. Delaware 1796 Sheriff, Kent County
59. Delaware 1796 Sheriff, Sussex County
60. Delaware 1796 State Senate, Kent County
61. Delaware 1796 State Senate, New Castle County
62. Delaware 1796 State Senate, Sussex County
63. Delaware 1796 U.S. House of Representatives
64. Delaware 1797 Coroner, New Castle County
65. Delaware 1797 House of Representatives, New Castle County
66. Delaware 1797 House of Representatives, Sussex County
67. Delaware 1797 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
68. Delaware 1797 Sheriff, New Castle County
69. Delaware 1797 State Senate, New Castle County
70. Delaware 1797 State Senate, Sussex County
71. Delaware 1798 Coroner, Kent County
72. Delaware 1798 Governor
73. Delaware 1798 House of Representatives, Kent County
74. Delaware 1798 House of Representatives, New Castle County
75. Delaware 1798 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
76. Delaware 1798 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
77. Delaware 1798 State Senate, Kent County
78. Delaware 1798 State Senate, New Castle County
79. Delaware 1798 U.S. House of Representatives
80. Delaware 1799 House of Representatives, Kent County
81. Delaware 1799 House of Representatives, Sussex County
82. Delaware 1799 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
83. Delaware 1799 Levy Court Commissioner, Sussex County
84. Delaware 1799 Sheriff, Kent County
85. Delaware 1799 Sheriff, Sussex County
86. Delaware 1799 State Senate, Kent County
87. Delaware 1799 State Senate, Sussex County
88. Delaware 1800 Coroner, Kent County
89. Delaware 1800 Coroner, New Castle County
90. Delaware 1800 House of Representatives, Kent County
91. Delaware 1800 House of Representatives, New Castle County
92. Delaware 1800 House of Representatives, Sussex County
93. Delaware 1800 Levy Court Commissioner, Kent County
94. Delaware 1800 Levy Court Commissioner, New Castle County
95. Delaware 1800 Levy Court Commissioner, Sussex County
96. Delaware 1800 Sheriff, New Castle County
97. Delaware 1800 State Senate, Kent County
98. Delaware 1800 State Senate, New Castle County
99. Delaware 1800 State Senate, Sussex County
100. Delaware 1800 U.S. House of Representatives
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On December 7, 1787 the Delaware State Legislature, by a unanimous vote of 30 to 0, became the first state to ratify the newly proposed national Constitution.
When a new State Constitution was adopted in 1792, the office of State Executive, which had previously been called President and chosen by the Legislature, was changed to Governor, and became an elected position. The term of office was kept at three years.
Delaware with only three counties (New Castle, Kent and Sussex) had the fewest in the nation. They also had the smallest State Legislature, comprised of nine State Senators and twenty-one Representatives.
Each county had three Senators, serving for three years. Their terms were staggered, so that one Senator was elected every year from each county. The House of Representatives had twenty one members, seven from each county, and who were elected annually at large.
Congressional, State and County Elections were held simultaneously in early October. Delaware elected one Congressman from 1788 – 1810, two for 1812 – 1820, and then one again from 1822 onward. State offices elected by popular vote were Governor, State Senator and Representatives. County officials elected by popular vote were Levy Court Commissioners, Coroners and Sheriff.
The voting alignment of the three counties, with New Castle voting Republican and Sussex and Kent being Federalist, meant that the State Legislature was almost always controlled by Federalists. As a result, from 1792 to 1820 Delaware chose Federalist Presidential Electors, even in 1820 when all four electors gave their Vice Presidential votes to Daniel Rodney, a Federalist and former Governor.
The Legislature also selected United States Senators, and with the exception of Caesar A. Rodney, who was elected in 1822, all those chosen during this time period were Federalists.
Party competition began with the state elections of 1792 and continued virtually unabated until 1826, when the last Federalist Governor was elected. Despite the dominance of Federalists in the Legislature, the parties were fairly balanced in popular voting strength, with Republicans electing their candidate for Governor in 1801, 1810, 1820 and 1822 and Congressmen in 1792, 1794, 1802 and capturing one of their two seats in 1816, 1818 and 1820.
Delaware counties were broken down into Hundreds, which seem to be the equivalent of townships. By 1811 state election returns started to be reported by Hundreds, a procedure which began showing the tight cohesion in voting amongst Federalist and Republican tickets.
The Hundreds also elected local officials such as Assessors, Inspectors and Road Commissioners. These elections were held in September, before the state voted in October, and on occasion, if they were favorable to either party, these returns were reported in the newspapers.
Delaware, the first state in the Union was the last to elect a Federalist Governor.