As noted by Weisberger, in response to this action by the Republicans, the Federalist-controlled legislature of Massachusetts changed the laws of that state to provide for the selection of presidential electors by the state legislature in place of popular election by districts. In New Hampshire a general ticket was similarly replaced by a legislative choice of electors. .
When all changes in electoral procedures had been completed, only five of the sixteen states had presidential electors popularly elected: Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Now that Presidential electors were chosen by state legislatures in nearly two-thirds of the states, the elections of members to the state assemblies became a major aspect of the presidential election (Cunningham, 105).
According to Parton, the presidential election of 1800 led to the introduction of formal party campaigning for the first time in several states. When the Virginia legislature changed the state presidential election law from a district system to a general ticket, the state was faced with its first statewide election. Under the new law, each voter was required to vote for 21 presidential electors from the state at large. Virginia formed a Republican Party caucus composed mainly of state legislators and Republican Party leaders. They formed a central committee and county committees. The central committee coordinated the campaign throughout the state, publicized the slate of electors in the press, and kept up regular correspondence with the county committees, supplying them with copies of the ticket and information to be used in campaigning. The Federalists formed a similar organizational structure, though less extensive than that of the Republicans. Other states also followed this example set by the Republicans.
National party organization was left to party leaders and Congressmen. By 1800, both Federalists and Republicans had instituted the congressional nominating caucus.
