Something just occurred to me about a presidential election...

[Kablooie]

If something happened to a presidential candidate to prevent him from becoming president just before election day, what happens?
I don't think it's ever happened but it's a possibility.

Does the government have a backup plan this kind of extreme situation?
Does the vice president candidate run as president instead?
Is the election day rescheduled?

Or does it have such a low probability that there is no plan B for this eventuality?

[SixthSense]

1. 25th Amendment comes into play

the person would stay on the ballot and if they won their second would take over under the 25th

[unblock]

6. the 25th amendment deals doesn't apply to the election process.

state laws regarding balloting and elections would govern how an election would take place; then the electoral college would actually determine the president.

if something were to happen to the person the electoral college chose, THEN, on inauguration day, there would be a vacancy in the office of presidency and the 25th amendment would kick in.


actually, there's even more to the process -- pretty much the first thing a new senate does is count the electoral votes. normally this is strictly a formality, of course, but should the electoral college have voted for someone not qualified, it's not clear what would happen. thet senate could in theory certify the highest qualified electoral vote-getter as the new president, or it could certify the not qualified person and let the 25th amendment kick in. untested waters here, but people would be pissed if they were seen as overturning the election for partisan reasons. then again, they've gotten away with that before....

[hayrow1]

2. When this happens, Alexander Haig is in charge

Oops, just remembered he's dead. I don't think there is another go-to, in charge, creep currently.

[Poll_Blind]

3. LOL! I miss Haig jokes. He was such a crazy fuck. nt

PB

[treestar]

5. lol

[Yavapai]

7. hayrow1, you owe me a new keyboard and a cup of coffee!

You should be reported to the "Duzzy" crew!!!

[unblock]

4. technically, election day does not determine who the president will be. the electoral college does.

strictly speaking, on election day we merely choose which "electors" get to vote in the electoral college, where the president is actually elected. electors are bound by state law, which typically (afaik) either places no restrictions or requires them to vote as their "supposed to" on the first round of voting only.

so, when the electoral college meets, if the candidate who "won" in november has, say, died, then they can vote for someone else. in fact, it doesn't even have to be anyone that was on any ballot in any state, just as long as they're constitutionally qualified to be president.

as a practical matter, electors are chosen based on loyalty, so they're highly unlikely to do anything unexpected or anti-party, but in theory one never knows. historically, a few electors have voted for their own relatives or such, but obviously this has never amounted to anything of consequence.

most likely, they would choose the veep on the winning ticket, but again, in theory one never knows.

[Kablooie]

8. OK. So there a rough plan of how to proceed even though it would be chaotic.