TOPIC D: County Unit System & 3
Governors Controversy
County unit System
A.
Est. 1917-Neill Primary Act
 allotting votes by county in party
primary elections
 all 159 counties classified according
to population:
o urban counties = 6 unit votes
each (48 total)
o town counties = 4 unit votes each
(120 total)
o rural counties = 2 unit votes each
(242 total)
 rural counties had 32% state
population, but controlled 59% of
total unit vote!
 candidates who received majority of
popular votes could be defeated by
candidate who carried the most
county unit votes (so if you won the
rural counties, you would win the
election)
B. Georgia as a one party state:
Democrats ruled!
 The Democrat almost always won
the general election in GA, so most
elections in GA were decided at the
primary election
C. Constitutional challenges and
results:
 Gray v. Sanders (1963): U.S.
Supreme Court declares Georgia’s
county unit system unconstitutional,
as the 14th Amendment requires
“one person, one vote”
 Reynolds v. Sims (1964): U.S.
Supreme Court rules that legislative
districts must be drawn solely based
on population (reapportionment)
1946 Governor’s Race (Three Governors
Controversy)
The election…
 E. Talmadge announced he would
run for governor
 He called for return of white primary,
maintaining white supremacy,
protecting GA from Communists &
outside agitators
o platform not popular in large
cities; he ignored cities b/c of the
county unit system
 James Carmichael won the popular
vote
 E. Talmadge won the county unit
vote
 M.E. Thompson was elected the 1st
lieutenant governor
 Talmadge died before taking
office
Legal facts…
 GA’s constitution says that if no
candidate for governor received
majority of votes in general election,
legislators should choose from 2
candidates with highest # of votes
 However, it also says if the current
governor dies, the lieutenant
governor becomes governor
Who gets to be governor?
 58 uncounted write-in votes were
“discovered” from Telfair Co. (his
home county) for Herman Talmadge,
giving him the most county unit votes
 General Assembly declares Herman
Talmadge victor
Results:
 Lt. Gov. M.E. Thompson thought he
should be governor; Arnall agreed
with Thompson and refused to give
up office until issue settled in court
 H. Talmadge’s forces seize governor
office, change locks
 all 3 set up offices in different places
in capitol; seal was not allowed to be
used
 2 months later Georgia Supreme
Court ruled Lt. Gov. M.E. Thompson
acting governor until 1948 election
 Thompson sworn in; Talmadge gave
up office but was elected in 1948
State Flag Controversy
 Use p. 610 – be sure to discuss 1956,
2001, & 2004
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
 Use p. 621 – be thorough!