Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [2822]

These curious last-minute changes in the voting of the two states caused the Electoral College on December sixth to elect Hayes—by one vote—president. But since Hayes has clearly lost the election by more than a quarter-million votes to Tilden, the Congress must now decide which of the two sets of disputed returns from the contested four states are valid: the first set that elected Tilden in November or the second set that elected Hayes in December. — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 2822

Note

The contrast between the supposed simplicity of voting and the complexity of the electoral situation demonstrates the absurdity of the scenario, while also showcasing the speaker’s rhetorical skill in narrating the fractured political landscape.