Each of the state’s eleven counties elected three Convention delegates. Eleven of the thirty–three sat in the old Assembly and four in the old Council. Other state officeholders elected included the governor, chief justice, auditor, secretary of the state, three delegates to Congress, and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention (William Few). Twenty of the delegates were also elected to the new Assembly, which was scheduled to meet on the first Tuesday in January.
By 27 December election results for ten counties were printed in the state’s newspapers. The Franklin County election was the only one not reported. The surviving manuscript election certificates for five counties and four newspaper reports are printed in this section.
THE ELECTION OF CONVENTION DELEGATES
4 December 1787
Gazette of the State of Georgia, 29 November
The general election being on Tuesday next, the following resolution of the honorable the House of Assembly at their last session is republished for the information of the electors.
Resolved, That any member of the Executive Council, or of the legislature, or other person holding any office of honor or profit under this state may be elected a member of the Convention.
Reports of Election of Convention Delegates
Burke County
At an election held at Waynesborough in the County of Burke on the 5th day of December 1787.
Whereupon counting and casting up the ballots it appeared the following members were duly elected for the Convention, the number of votes as follows:
Certified by us the day and year above written.Tho Lewis, Jr., J.P.William Fleming, J.P.Jacob Lewis, J.P.Camden County
Election on Monday [sic] the 4th instant.
For Camden County.
Honorable Henry Osborne, James Seagrove, Jacob Weed, esquires, delegates to Convention.
Chatham County
Tuesday the 4th instant, at the annual election, the following gentlemen were chosen for this county for the ensuing year. Four hundred and one freeholders attended upon the occasion
ConventionEffingham County
These are to certify that at an election begun and holden at Elberton on Tuesday the 4th of December 1787 the following gentlemen was duly elected for the Convention for the county of Effingham vizt.
Jenkin Davis, Nathan Brownson, and Caleb Howell.William Holzendorf, J.P.Thomas McCall, J.P.Franklin County
At a general election held at the courthouse of said county, 4th of December 1787, was elected John Gorham, Thomas Gilbert, and Jesse Walton, Esquire members to the Convention for the purpose of examining the Federal Constitution.
Certified by us the day and date above written.Wm. Cawthon, J.P.John Carter, J.P.Glynn and Greene Counties
The following gentlemen are appointed in the Convention for this state and are the names only of those who have come to hand.
For Greene County
[Thomas] Daniel, Robert Christmas, [Robert] Middleton. For Glynn County
George Handley, Charles [Christopher] HIllery, John Milton.
Liberty County
Extract of a Letter from Sunbury, Georgia to a Gentleman in this City [New Haven], dated December 4, 1787.
Yesterday the general election was held here. Members for Convention were also chosen. They are Colonel [James] Maxwell, Colonel [John] Elliot, and Mr. James Powell, all in favor of the Constituion. I doubt not it will be adopted in this state.
Richmond County
We do hereby certify that Wm. Few, James McNiel, and John Wereat, esquires are elected members for the Convention. Given under our hands this 4th December 1787.Moses Glaswik, J.P.Th. Carr, J.P.Washington County
The following gentlemen are appointed in the Convention for this state and are the names only of those who have come to hand.
For Washington County
Jared Irvin, R[euben] Wilkinson, [John] Rotherford.
Wilkes County
At a general election held at the courthouse in said county on the first Tuesday in December 1787.
The following gentlemen were duly elected to represent said county in Convention: George Matthews, Florence Sullivan, John King Esquires.
Certified under our hands this 8th day of December 1787.
Henry Mounger, Sydnor Cosby, Superintending Justices.
| Edward Telfair | 270 |
| George Walton | 128 |
| Henry Todd | 166 |
| William Stephens, Esquire | 272 votes |
| Colonel Joseph Habersham | 251 |
| Thomas Gibbons, Sr., Esquire | 124 |
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