 As no candidate won a majority of the electoral votes, the House was required to hold a contingent election under the terms of the Twelfth Amendment.The House would decide among the top three electoral vote winners, with each state's delegation having one vote; thus, unlike his three rivals, Clay was not eligible to be elected by the House.Adams knew that his own victory in the contingent election would require the support of Clay, who wielded immense influence in the House of Representatives.