Question

how was the vice president originally chosen?
they ran for the office independently.
they ran alongside presidential candidates.
they were the second place presidential candidate.

Explanation:

To determine how the vice president was originally chosen, we refer to historical U.S. electoral procedures. Initially, the vice president was the candidate who received the second - most electoral votes in the presidential election, meaning they were the second - place presidential candidate. The option "They ran for the office independently" is incorrect as the vice - presidential selection was tied to the presidential election results. The option "They ran alongside presidential candidates" became the case later with the development of political parties and the ticket system, but it was not the original method.

Answer:

They were the second place presidential candidate.