Lloyd W. Bailey

Lloyd Whitfield Bailey (March 24, 1928 – August 12, 2020 ) was a medical doctor and ophthalmologist from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, who achieved notoriety as a faithless elector during the 1968 U.S. presidential election. He became a faithless elector on December 16, 1968. Because Bailey did not vote for Nixon, the candidate received 301 electoral votes instead of the expected 302 electoral votes (based on state results). However, Bailey's vote did not affect the outcome of the election, and Nixon was elected.

Career Bailey received a BS degree at Wake Forest College in 1949, and an MD degree from Jefferson Medical College in 1953. He completed his residency and training in Philadelphia at University of Pennsylvania and Wills Eye Hospital. resulting in 45 electoral votes. Bailey's vote gave them a total of 46 electoral votes.

When confronted about his action, Bailey at first claimed that when he was chosen as an elector by state Republican Party convention, he had not pledged to cast his votes for Nixon and Agnew. Bailey further claimed that since Wallace had won in the district he represented,

Bailey, a staunch right-winger and a member of the John Birch Society, (D-ME) (a defeated Democratic vice presidential nominee) and Representative James O'Hara Bailey was required to appear at congressional hearings regarding this case.

Bailey's actions prompted calls for reform of the system. Polls at the time showed that the vast majority of Americans, over 70%,

In 2008, at the age of 80, Bailey was appointed to the JBS Council.