General ticket

General ticket representation is a term used to describe a particular method of electing members of a multi-member state delegation to the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...

. States using this method elected their entire delegation in a state-wide manner, either on a single ballot (by means of bloc voting

Plurality-at-large voting

Plurality-at-large voting, commonly referred to as block voting or bloc voting, is a voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...

) or on separate ballots for each seat, but always allowing every voter in the state to vote for a candidate for each seat. It was a system used frequently until restricted by the 1842 Apportionment Bill

Apportionment Bill

The Apportionment Bill is an act passed by the Congress of the United States after each decennial census to determine the number of members which each state shall send to the United States House of Representatives. The number of the members of the first House was 65...

 and subsequent legislation, most recently in 1967 (Public Law 90-196, ).

General ticket representation is a term used to describe a particular method of electing members of a multi-member state delegation to the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...

. States using this method elected their entire delegation in a state-wide manner, either on a single ballot (by means of bloc voting

Plurality-at-large voting

Plurality-at-large voting, commonly referred to as block voting or bloc voting, is a voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...

) or on separate ballots for each seat, but always allowing every voter in the state to vote for a candidate for each seat. It was a system used frequently until restricted by the 1842 Apportionment Bill

Apportionment Bill

The Apportionment Bill is an act passed by the Congress of the United States after each decennial census to determine the number of members which each state shall send to the United States House of Representatives. The number of the members of the first House was 65...

 and subsequent legislation, most recently in 1967 (Public Law 90-196, ). After 1842 it was used only occasionally when permitted for states with small delegations or in the years immediately following their admission to the union.

While the framers of the United States Constitution

United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States...

 probably intended members of the House of Representatives to be elected from geographically defined single member districts, the Constitution did not so specify. For convenience or in order to assure majority control, many states adopted general ticket representation. In doing so it ensured that a group that might be a majority in only a portion of the state would be always out voted by the larger majority throughout the state.

General ticket usage

This is a table of every instance of the use of the general ticket in the United States Congress

Congress	State & Number of Representatives
1st 1st United States Congress The 1st United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street in New York City and later at...	CT (5), NJ (4), NH (3), PA (8)
2nd 2nd United States Congress The 2nd United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from March 4, 1791 to March 3, 1793, during the third and fourth years of George Washington's Presidency...	CT (5), NJ (4), NH (3)
3rd 3rd United States Congress The Third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...	CT (7), GA (2), NJ (5), NH (4), PA (13), RI (2)
4th 4th United States Congress The Fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...	CT (7), GA (2), NJ (5), NH (4), RI (2)
5th 5th United States Congress The Fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...	CT (7), GA (2), NJ (5), NH (4), RI (2)
6th 6th United States Congress The Sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1799...	CT (7), GA (2), NH (4), RI (2)
7th 7th United States Congress The Seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1801 to March 3, 1803, during the first two years of...	CT (7), GA (2), NJ (5), NH (4), RI (2)
8th 8th United States Congress The Eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1803 to March 3, 1805, during the last two years of the...	CT (7), GA (4), NJ (6), NH (5), RI (2), TN (3)
9th 9th United States Congress The Ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1805 to March 4, 1807, during the fifth and sixth years...	CT (7), GA (4), NJ (6), NH (5), RI (2)
10th 10th United States Congress The Tenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4 1807 to March 3 1809, during the seventh and eighth years...	CT (7), GA (4), NJ (6), NH (5), RI (2)
11th 11th United States Congress The Eleventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1809 to March 3, 1811, during the first two years of...	CT (7), GA (4), NJ (6), NH (5), RI (2)
12th 12th United States Congress The Twelfth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1811 to March 3, 1813, during the third and fourth...	CT (7), GA (4), NJ (6), NH (5), RI (2)
13th 13th United States Congress The Thirteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1813 to March 3, 1815, during the fifth and sixth...	CT (7), DE (2), GA (6), NH (6), RI (2), VT (6)
14th 14th United States Congress The Fourteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in the Old Brick Capitol in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1815 to March 3, 1817,...	CT (7), DE (2), GA (6), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2), VT (6)
15th 15th United States Congress The Fifteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in the Old Brick Capitol in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1817 to March 3, 1819,...	CT (7), DE (2), GA (6), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2), VT (6)
16th 16th United States Congress The Sixteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1819 to March 3, 1821, during the third and fourth...	CT (7), DE (2), GA (6), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2), VT (6)
17th 17th United States Congress The Seventeenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823, during the first two years...	CT (7), DE (2), GA (6), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2)
18th 18th United States Congress The Eighteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1823 to March 3, 1825, during the last two years of...	CT (6), GA (7), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2), VT (5)
19th 19th United States Congress The Nineteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1825 to March 3, 1827, during the first two years of...	CT (6), GA (7), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2)
20th 20th United States Congress The Twentieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1827 to March 3, 1829, during the last two years of...	CT (6), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2)
21st 21st United States Congress The Twenty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1829 to March 3, 1831, during the first two years...	CT (6), GA (7), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2)
22nd 22nd United States Congress The Twenty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1831 to March 3, 1833, during the last two years...	CT (6), GA (7), NJ (6), NH (6), RI (2)
23rd 23rd United States Congress The Twenty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1833 to March 4, 1835, during the fifth and sixth...	CT (6), GA (9), MO (2), MS (2), NJ (6), NH (5), RI (2)
24th 24th United States Congress The Twenty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1835 to March 3, 1837, during the last two years...	CT (6), GA (9), MO (2), MS (2), NJ (6), NH (5), RI (2)
25th 25th United States Congress The Twenty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1839, during the first two years...	NH (5), GA (9), MO (2), MS (2), NJ (6), RI (2)
26th 26th United States Congress The Twenty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1839 to March 3, 1841, during the last two years...	NH (5), GA (9), MO (2), MS (2), NJ (6), RI (2)
27th 27th United States Congress The Twenty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1841 to March 3, 1843, during the one-month...	AL (5), GA (9), MO (2), MS (2), NH (5), NJ (6), RI (2)
28th 28th United States Congress The Twenty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1843 to March 3, 1845, during the last two years...	NH (4), GA (8), MO (5), MS (4)
29th 29th United States Congress The Twenty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1845 to March 3, 1847, during the first two years...	IA (2), NH (4), MO (5), MS (4)
30th 30th United States Congress The Thirtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849, during the last two years of...	WI (2)
31st 31st United States Congress The Thirty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851, during the last 17 months...	CA (2)
32nd 32nd United States Congress The Thirty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1851 to March 3, 1853, during the last two years...	CA (2)
33rd 33rd United States Congress The Thirty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1853 to March 3, 1855, during the first two years...	CA (2)
34th 34th United States Congress The Thirty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1855 to March 4, 1857, during the last two years...	CA (2)
35th 35th United States Congress The Thirty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1859, during the first two years...	CA (2), MN (2)
36th 36th United States Congress The Thirty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859 to March 4, 1861, during the third and fourth...	CA (2), MN (2)
37th 37th United States Congress The Thirty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1861 to March 4, 1863, during the first two...	CA (3), MN (2)
38th 38th United States Congress The Thirty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1863 to March 4, 1865, during the last two years...	CA (3)
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43rd 43rd United States Congress The Forty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1873 to March 4, 1875, during the fifth and sixth...	Fl (2), KS (3)
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48th 48th United States Congress The Forty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883 to March 4, 1885, during the last two years...	ME (4)
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51st 51st United States Congress The Fifty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1889 to March 4, 1891, during the first two years...	SD (2)
52nd 52nd United States Congress The Fifty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1891 to March 4, 1893, during the last two years...	SD (2)
53rd 53rd United States Congress The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...	SD (2), WA (2)
54th 54th United States Congress The Fifty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1895 to March 3, 1897, during the last two years...	SD (2), WA (2)
55th 55th United States Congress The Fifty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1897 to March 4, 1899, during the first two years of...	SD (2), WA (2)
56th 56th United States Congress The Fifty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1899 to March 4, 1901, during the third and fourth...	SD (2), WA (2)
57th 57th United States Congress The Fifty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...	SD (2), WA (2)
58th 58th United States Congress The Fifty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1903 to March 4, 1905, during the third and fourth...	ND (2), SD (2), WA (3)
59th 59th United States Congress The Fifty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1905 to March 4, 1907, during the fifth and sixth...	ND (2), SD (2), WA (3)
60th 60th United States Congress The Sixtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1907 to March 4, 1909, during the last two years of...	ND (2), SD (2), WA (3)
61st 61st United States Congress The Sixty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1911, during the first two years of...	ND (2), SD (2)
62nd 62nd United States Congress The Sixty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1911 to March 4, 1913, during the last two years of...	ND (2), NM (2), SD (2)
63rd 63rd United States Congress The Sixty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1913 to March 4, 1915, during the first two years of...	ID (2), MT (2), UT (2)
64th 64th United States Congress The Sixty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1915 to March 4, 1917, during the third and fourth of...	ID (2), MT (2)
65th 65th United States Congress The Sixty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1917 to March 4, 1919, during the fourth and fifth...	ID (2), MT (2)
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73rd 73rd United States Congress The Seventy-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1935, during the first two years...	KY (9), MN (9), MO (13), ND (2), VA (9)
74th 74th United States Congress The Seventy-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1935 to January 3, 1937, during the third and...	ND (2)
75th 75th United States Congress The Seventy-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1937 to January 3, 1939, during the first two years...	ND (2)
76th 76th United States Congress The Seventy-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1941, during the seventh and...	ND (2)
77th 77th United States Congress -Major events:* December 7, 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor* December 26, 1941: Joint session of the United States Congress met in the Senate chamber for an address by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.-Acts of Congress:...	ND (2)
78th 78th United States Congress The Seventy-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1945, during the last two years...	AZ (2), NM (2), ND (2)
79th 79th United States Congress The Seventy-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1945 to January 3, 1947, during the last months of...	AZ (2), NM (2), ND (2)
80th 80th United States Congress The Eightieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1947 to January 3, 1949, during the third and fourth...	AZ (2), NM (2), ND (2)
81st 81st United States Congress The Eighty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1949 to January 3, 1951, during the first two years...	NM (2), ND (2)
82nd 82nd United States Congress The Eighty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1951 to January 3, 1953, during the last two years...	NM (2), ND (2)
83rd 83rd United States Congress The Eighty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1953 to January 3, 1955, during the first two years...	NM (2), ND (2)
84th 84th United States Congress The Eighty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1955 to January 3, 1957, during the third and...	NM (2), ND (2)
85th 85th United States Congress The Eighty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1957 to January 3, 1959, during the fifth and sixth...	NM (2), ND (2)
86th 86th United States Congress The Eighty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1959 to January 3, 1961, during the last two years...	NM (2), ND (2)
87th 87th United States Congress The Eighty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1961 to January 3, 1963, during the first two...	NM (2), ND (2)
88th 88th United States Congress The Eighty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1963 to January 3, 1965, during the last year of...	AL (8), HI (2), NM (2)
89th 89th United States Congress The Eighty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1965 to January 3, 1967, during the third and fourth...	HI (2), NM (2)
90th 90th United States Congress The Ninetieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1967 to January 3, 1969, during the last two years of...	HI (2), NM (2)
91st 91st United States Congress The Ninety-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1969 to January 3, 1971, during the first two years...	HI (2)

External links

• U.S. House of Representatives: House History