General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What if Trump passes on before the election? [View all]Silent3
(15,628 posts)If before the Republican convention, it would be up to the Republican convention to suddenly become a real convention, not just a showpiece. God knows who the Republican delegates would eventually chose to replace Trump. It would probably be worse chaos than Republicans have had choosing a Speaker of the House.
If Trump keeled over after being chosen by the Republican convention (as well as if Trump died after the election in November, but before December 17th) that's where the Electoral College would kick in.
What you're really voting for when you vote for President is a slate of electors committed to voting for that person for President in the Electoral College. People who (God knows why!) want Trump to be President, but who will also settle for any Republican at all over Biden, would continue to cast their votes for Trump even if Trump were dead.
Then it would be up to the Electors who had committed themselves to Trump, each individually, to choose someone else to vote for when the Electoral College meets on December 17th. Chances are, again, we'd have another Republicans-in-disarray mess and Republican electors would fail to agree on a single candidate.
That's all a moot point if Biden had won the electoral vote. If Biden hadn't won, and no one, not Biden nor any single Republican, can get a majority of Electoral votes, the election has to be decided by the House... leading to yet another shit show unless, by time the House had to vote, the November elections had given Democrats a majority of state delegations (not necessarily the same as having a majority of Representatives), in which case Biden becomes President.
I've got no idea what happens if a Presidential candidate dies after the Electoral College meets. I'd guess either the elected VP goes on to be President, or there's another situation where the House decides the election. Not sure!