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election what if questions

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by body slam, Oct 29, 2012.

  1. body slam

    body slam Member

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    What happens to the election if the east cost is left severely damaged after the hurricane? Does it still go as planned or postponed?

    What if Romney or Obama dies before the election. Does the other one automatically win?

    feel free to add other questions you may have
     
  2. raj87

    raj87 Member

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    Lol....
     
  3. tallanvor

    tallanvor Member

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    What happens in the event of a fireball?
     
  4. LonghornFan

    LonghornFan Member

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    Are you posting during recess?
     
  5. juicystream

    juicystream Member

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    I admit, I'm interested about the 2nd question. I have no idea what would happen.
     
  6. Lil Pun

    Lil Pun Member

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    Yeah, that second question is a good one. What would happen if one of the candidates did die?
     
  7. jcee15

    jcee15 Member

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  8. body slam

    body slam Member

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    honestly I don't know and I'm sure there are others that don't know as well. So please tell the answer that is if you know.
     
  9. CometsWin

    CometsWin Breaker Breaker One Nine

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    There was that guy who died a while back during an election and I believe the election just continued. When he won his wife took his seat in office I think.
     
  10. Cannonball

    Cannonball Member

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    States have the power to delay elections. I know Virginia state law allows them to do so for up to 14 days. So it's possible that the rest of the country votes and has their votes counted while the affected states wait to vote at a later date. Depending on how it plays out, the election might be decided anyway before those votes take place.

    As for the second question, each party has different procedures. If the GOP candidate dies, the RNC has the authority to pick a new candidate, either by reconvening a national convention or by having RNC state representatives vote. The new nominee must get a majority of the votes. For the Democrats, the DNC also chooses the nominee though there's no further detail on how it would be done.

    If a candidate is elected but dies before he is inaugurated the the vice president becomes president.
     
  11. Cannonball

    Cannonball Member

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    That was Gov. Mel Carnahan in Missouri in 2000 who was running for the US Senate against John Ashcroft. He died in a plane crash 3 weeks before the election and it was too late to take his name off the ballot. The Governor (who took over for Carnahan after his death) promised to appoint his widow if he won the election, which he did. But she wasn't "officially" a candidate.

    That situation is a little different because the Governor has the power to appoint the replacement. Kind of like how Rod Blagojevich had the authority to appoint Obama's replacement after he was elected President.
     
  12. juicystream

    juicystream Member

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    That is the answer I expected, but thought maybe there would be something else to delay the vote. Hopefully we never see it happen.
     
  13. Classic

    Classic Member

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    Has anyone seen Romney's birth certificate to know for certain he is eligible to even be president? The name Romney sounds foreign and not typical anglo-white guy like Jones or Richards.
     
  14. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Member

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    My understanding is that it happened in Florida back in 1992. A congressman passed away and a black comedian who happened to share the same name (Thomas Jefferson Johnson) was elected in his place.
     
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  15. GladiatoRowdy

    GladiatoRowdy Member

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    That guy looked suspiciously like Eddie Murphy.
     
  16. da_juice

    da_juice Member

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    I think the running mate takes over.
     
  17. Air Langhi

    Air Langhi Contributing Member

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    I doubt it. If McCain had died you thing any chance in hell the RNC would have let Palin run?
     
  18. weslinder

    weslinder Member

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  19. juicystream

    juicystream Member

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    Alternatively, I think if Obama had died, they would have nominated Hillary and not Biden.
     
  20. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    This might be the case but the date is set by Federal statute and if a state were to change the date under the Voting Rights Act they would have to get it cleared by the DOJ.
    I think you are largely correct but just to add that if a candidate were to die this close to the election there would be no time to take their name off of the ballot. That would be the Mel Carnahan situation. At that point if that candidate won I don't think the party could name a new replacement since the parties have no official standing under the Constitution. Looking at the 20th Amendment it sounds like in that case then either the VP on the winning ticket becomes president.

    20 Amendment Section 3. Bolded for emphasis.
    If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

    Electing a dead person a president I presume would mean that person couldn't qualify but what might be another wrinkle here is that the VP could only serve until another person qualified. I don't know if that means that Congress could call for another election if they don't like the VP or just choose someone else.
     

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