f Electors.--Congress enacted in
1845 that each State might provide, by law, for the filling of
vacancies in the electoral college, and that if any State failed to
choose electors on the regular day, that they might be appointed on
a later day in such manner as the State might, by law, direct.
Nearly all of the State legislatures have conferred on the college
itself the power of filling vacancies.

Function of Electors.--The steps prescribed by the Constitution
must still be followed, although we know, long before the electors cast
their votes, who the next President will be. The actual function of the
electors is given in Amendment XII, as follows:--

_The electors shall meet in their respective States and vote by ballot
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
ballots 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 for as President, and of all persons voted for as
Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they
shall sign, and certify, and transmit, sealed, to the seat of 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 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 a 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 quorum for this
purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the
States, and a majority of the States shall be necessary to a choice. And
if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President, whenever
the right to choose 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.--The person