The law at the time specified that if no candidate received a majority, the state legislature would decide the election. Morris received 50.01% of the vote, a mere 26 votes more than the majority needed to win. There were irregularities among ballots in Bridgeport as well. The state legislature, having split control, could not agree on a winner, and the result was challenged and deadlocked over the next two years.
Due to these challenges, Morris was not seated as Governor and the incumbent Governor Morgan Bulkeley remained in office, despite not running in the election.