NIXON NEAR PRESIDENCY

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31830, 7 November 1968, Page 1

NIXON NEAR PRESIDENCY

Uncertain

Three States Hold Key In Struggle

(N.Z.P.A .-Reuter—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, November 6.

One of the most dramatic Presidential elections in recent history moved to a close finish today with the decision in California, Ohio and Illinois holding the key to the outcome.

If he wins in all three states, the Republican, Mr Richard Milhous Nxon, would earn a wnning 287 electoral vote, 17 more than the necessary 270. Democrats were not conceding any of the three states, although tabulation at 730 a.m. (12.30 a.m. New Zealand time) show Mr Nixon leading in California and Ohio, and Mr Humphrey slightly ahead in Illinois.

To win, Democratic nominee, Mr Hubert H. Humphrey, faced the necessity of taking all three.

A split in the big three, combined with a shift in other undecided states could send the choice of the President to the 538-member Electoral College or to the new Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

If neither Mr Nixon nor Mr Humphrey is able to muster a 270vote majority of the Electoral College, the outcome will remain in doubt for at least 41 days, until that body meets in the 50 State capitals to cast its vote.

Should it deadlock then, the choice would go to the House of Representatives for the first time in 144 years.

Tight battles in California, fltinois, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri and a handful of smaller States held the key to the final outcome of the popular vote, if not the Electoral College winner. The third party candidate,

Mr George Wallace, of Alabama, collected a minimum of 45 electoral votes. Mr Nixon and Mr Humphrey ran far ahead of Mr Wallace. But the Deep South electoral votes captured by the third-party candidate could prove crucial in determining whether either is able to fashion a clear victory now. Giant California, with 40 electoral votes, still-unde-cided Illinois and Ohio, each with 26. The others to be decided are Maryland (10) and Alaska (3). Another Night For Mr Nixon, the tension of election night could only recall another night, eight years ago, when the choice was between him and John F. Kennedy- He lost then by the narrowest of margins. This time, in percentage terms, at one stage, the popular vote stood at 43 per cent for Nixon, 43 per cent for Humphrey, with Wallace holding the balance.

Democrats kept their grip on Congress, although Republicans scored Senate gains. la the House of Representatives, which could become the crucial arena, Democratic control appeared unshaken. Mr Nixon, once rated a commanding leader by the pollsters, had watched his standing shrink in the waning days of the campaign.

The victory of which he once deemed certain became an elusive goal as the major industrial states—upon which he had counted heavily and in which he had campaigned intensively—slipped into the Humphrey column. Senator Edmund S. Muskie, Mr Humphrey’s running mate, said in Waterville, Maine, that “the Wallace vote isn’t really as strong as we thought it might be.”

The New York “Daily News,” with the largest daily newspaper circulation in the United States, ran this headline on its front page: “It’s a Dilly.” The A.P. said the 26 Illinois votes and California’s 40 would give Mr Nixon enough for victory barring a string of reversals in other states. If no candidate gets an immediately apparent 270 electoral votes, the Electoral College oould still decide the contest when its casts its ballots on December 16. Only in 16 States and the District of Columbia are electors bound to follow the popular vote choice of their State. Mr Wallace has said he would not let the election go to the House—implying he would instruct his electors for whom to vote. If the race does go to the House after eleftoral votes are counted on January 6, each State, regardless of size, would cast one vote, with 26 required for election. Only twice in history has

the selection of a President been put in the hands of the House. In 1801, the House chose Thomas Jefferson over John Adams. In 1825 Andrew Jackson won the most popular and electoral votes in the nation with four men running for the Presidency. John Quincy Adams was second, William Crawford third in electoral vote. The House picked Adams when Henry Clay, who ran fourth, threw him his support in return for the office of Secretary of State.

In the event that neither Mr Nixon nor Mr Humphrey could attain 270 electoral votes, there were two possibilities for settling the election.

Mr Wallace might contrive to swing his 45 electors, all of whom are pledged to do his bidding, to one of the major-party candidates, thus electing him. If he did not do so, the House would choose a President in a procedure in which each State delegation would cast one vote. A majority of 26 such State votes would be required for election. Although House returns were far from complete early this morning, an analysis of the returns suggested that the Democrats would control at least 26 State delegations.

These would include, however, those from the five States carried by Mr Wallace, so that the party could not be absolutely certain of electing Mr Humphrey if the third-party candidate should work against that outcome.

The Democrats have retained control of the Senate, which—in the event of an electoral deadlock—would choose a Vice-President. The choice would be between Mr Nixon’s running mate, Governor Spiro T. Agnew, of Maryland, and Senator Edmund S. Muskie, of Maine.

In that case, Senator Muskie would be a strong favourite, regardless of the eventual outcome for the Presidential contest, the New York Times News Service said.

Mr Humphrey, who said he needed to carry New York to win the White House, took the State’s prized 43 electoral votes —largest bloc in the nation —with stout support from Niagara Falls to the sidewalks of New York city Mr Nixon’s chief press spokesman, Mr Herbert S. Klein, claimed at an early morning news conference in New York that the Republican contender would carry California by 300.000 votes.

The count in the state at 5.30 a.m. gave Mr Nixon 723-178 and Mr Humprhey 703,343. The “Los Angeles Times” predicted a California victory for Mr Nixon.

Mr Humphrey went to bed early in the morning without making any specific prediction. He said the election count was a “donnybrook” and “anything can happen.” He said he was optimistic.

Mr George C. Wallace went to bed early today apparently believing his third party candidacy had deadlocked the Presidential election.

“I’m pleased with the way things are going,” he told a crowd of 2000 supporters at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama, late on Tuesday night Later, he refused to say what course he might take if his electoral votes held the balance of victory. “I can’t say what I’m going to do with my electoral votes,” Mr Wallace, told United Press International. “You just can’t decide something like that until the whole deal is over.” The former Alabama Governor won 45 electoral votes in five southern states-