1811 Connecticut lieutenant gubernatorial election

The 1811 Connecticut lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on April 8, 1811, in order to elect the lieutenant governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Federalist lieutenant governor Roger Griswold received a plurality of the votes against Democratic-Republican candidate Elijah Boardman and Federalist candidate and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's at-large district John Cotton Smith in a rematch of the previous year's election. However, since no candidate received a majority in the popular vote, John Cotton Smith was elected by the Connecticut General Assembly per the Connecticut Charter of 1662.^[1]

On election day, April 8, 1811, incumbent Federalist lieutenant governor Roger Griswold won a plurality of the vote by a margin of 1,438 votes against his foremost opponent Democratic-Republican candidate Elijah Boardman. However, as no candidate received a majority of the vote, the election was forwarded to the Connecticut General Assembly.^[2]

As no candidate received a majority of the vote, the Connecticut General Assembly was required to decide the election. Incumbent Federalist lieutenant governor and winner of the popular vote Roger Griswold, was elected governor on the same day as the lieutenant gubernatorial election and therefor became ineligible to be elected lieutenant governor of Connecticut in the legislative vote. Federalist candidate John Cotton Smith was ultimately elected by the Connecticut General Assembly, thereby retaining Federalist control over the office of lieutenant governor. Smith was sworn in for his first term on May 9, 1811.^[3]