Why was the election of 1800 decided in the House of Representatives?

Question

The 12th Amendment required this process.
The 12th Amendment required this process.

No candidate received a majority in the Electoral College.
No candidate received a majority in the Electoral College.

Both candidates were from the same party.
Both candidates were from the same party.

No candidate wanted to be vice president.

Answer 1

Although it is not explicitly mentioned as a reason, the election of 1800 was indeed decided in the House of Representatives due to the fact that no candidate received a majority in the Electoral College. In this election, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received the same number of electoral votes, which led to a tie. According to the rules at the time, the House of Representatives would then hold a contingent election to choose the president from the top three candidates, with each state delegation having one vote. This resulted in a lengthy and contentious process, eventually ending with Jefferson being elected as the third President of the United States.