The year was 1946 and the democratic party ruled Georgia.  Elections were decided in the primary with the General Election being a mere formality.  Eugene Talmadge, the "wild man from Sugar Creek", won the democratic nomination for Governor on a platform that promised to maintain the white primary and the county unit system.  The Republicans did not even bother to run a candidate in the gubernatorial race that year.

Few people knew that Eugene Talmadge was gravely ill.  His son, one of the few in the know, was determined to ensure that a Talmadge would take the oath of office in January.  Before the November election, Herman Talmadge interpreted a clause in the state constitution as meaning that the General Assembly would elect the governor from the two persons who had the highest number of votes in the general election without receiving a majority.  To some of his closest friends, he said, "Get me some write-in votes for the general election".  And, they did.

There were two problems with Herman's plan.  First, there was that pesky state constitution of 1945 that established the Office of Lieutenant Governor and provided for the line of succession.  Even worse -- there was that little matter of Herman Talmadge not having quite enough write-in votes to qualify as the second leading vote getter.  That problem was solved once the cemetery precinct in Telfair County reported its returns.  Thirty-four residents from the local cemetery rose from their graves and arrived at the polls in alphabetical order to cast their write-in votes for Herman.

On December 21, 1946 Eugene Talmadge died.  Governor Ellis Arnall announced he would remain Governor indefinitely.  M.E. Thompson, the newly elected Lieutenant Governor staked his claim to the office based on the line of succession in the 1945 constitution.  In January, the General Assembly elected Herman Talmadge governor after a special legislative committee discovered a sufficient number of additional write-in votes from Telfair County to make him the front runner among the write-in candidates.

All three men set up office in various parts of the Capitol and attempted to conduct state business.  There were fist fights, lots of liquor, and charges of knock out drugs.  While the less than gentlemanly behavior continued, the question as to the identify of the rightful governor was considered by the courts. 

Two state officials refused to be brought into the fracas.  State Treasurer George Hamilton refused the "Governors" access to state funds until the courts reached a decision.  Secretary of State Ben Fortson hid the Great Seal of the State under the cushion of his wheelchair, thus limiting the official actions the three claimants to the executive office could take.

The Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Eugene Talmadge should have been declared governor-elect by the General Assembly and then, because Talmade was dead, M.E. Thompson should have been sworn in as Acting Governor.  Since that didn't happen, Ellis Arnall's term continued.  When Melvin E. Thompson was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor, Arnall resigned and Thompson served as Governor until a special election could be held in 1948 to fill the unexpired term of Eugene Talmadge.  It was Herman Talmadge who actually had the last word in the matter... he ran in 1948 and easily defeated M.E. Thompson.