What would happen if Trump was assassinated between now and election day in terms of voting?

[drray23]

First off, I do not wish that. I would rather than he be held accountable by the justice system which eventually will catch up with him after he loses.

However, I am curious as what is the rule constitutionally if he were to pass before the election.

He is already the nominee, ballots are going out for early voting so how would that work? Would Vance automatically be on top of the ticket since he is on the same ticket as VP or Is it one of these unclear situations that the supreme court (gasp!) would have to decide upon?

[NCDem47]

1. I've thought this as well. Really, for ANY Presidential candidate.

Past the conventions, but before national election. How would this be constitutionally handled?

[WarGamer]

2. Most States and Courts would probably order a new printing of the ballots... as long as ballots hadn't been printed.

[John Farmer]

8. In NC they had to discard millions of ballots when Kennedy withdrew.

Kennedy withdrew days after the deadline. Nevertheless, the court ordered new ballots. They're working on the new ballots without them but we can't get sample ballots yet, not even the electronic version.

[barbtries]

3. Intriguing question, so I googled

If a candidate dies before Election Day, political parties have primary control over the process of replacing that candidate. There aren’t any laws or parts of the constitution that cover this scenario, and on the few occasions where it has occurred, parties have been the principal actors. The exact process depends in large part on when the death occurs.

https://protectdemocracy.org/work/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-dies-steps-down/

[MontanaMama]

5. I had no idea.

Thanks for this.

[drray23]

7. Thank you! Very interesting.

so, in the case of the republicans, its the RNC that decides and if its after the ballot are printed then whomever the electors chose:

In our presidential election system, however, voters cast their ballots not for a specific candidate but for a slate of electors pledged to that candidate through the electoral college. As a result, votes for a replaced presidential or vice presidential candidate really go to a slate of electors, and those electors (who usually have a strong party loyalty because of how they are appointed) could transfer their votes to the new nominee.

So Trump would be on the ballot and the electors would choose who that actually is that gets the votes.

Hopefully we are not in that situation. That would be a huge mess.

[barbtries]

9. it doesn't scare me.

republicans have lost the plot. they would almost certainly choose someone who could not begin to replicate the charisma and hero worship he commands. If they chose someone who believes in democracy, that person still loses.

no, my real fears all have to do with him staying alive, which is almost certainly what is going to happen. I've been waiting for that CFSF to keel over for years now and he won't do it.

[EYESORE 9001]

11. Lara Rump would be the deciderer, it would seem

Unless repuQs staged a coup within their own party..

[lees1975]

4. The party's delegates to their respective conventions would meet and determine who would fill the spot.

That would not automatically go to Vance, unless the delegates approved, and if it did, they'd have to nominate a new VP candidate.

It has happened before, not to a Presidential candidate, but VP candidate Thomas Eagleton dropped out after being nominated to run with McGovern in 72. The party's delegates nominated Sargent Shriver.

There is no constitutional provision regarding candidates for office, only for those who have already been elected and sworn in. The parties retain responsibility prior to the election.

[Think. Again.]

6. He would become a loser in death as well as life.

[kansasobama]

10. We should never wish for assassination of a political fugure

If we wish for that, it is not a democracy. We should not do that. We will be same as Elon Musk and we are not that.

However, we want a massive defeat of this dictator who wishes a bloodbath here. We need to kick his ass. I understand he would be fine if migrants are killed or Biden gets sick.

From a purely academic discussion, it has to be JD Vance. It does not have to be but there is no time.

[lastlib]

12. Missouri had a comparable situation in 2000.....

When a candidate for US Senate (Gov. Mel Carnahan) died in a plane crash a few weeks before the election. It was too late to take his name off the ballot, so Missourians wound up voting for a dead man, and he defeated John As*croft. His wife was appointed to his seat.

If a major presidential candidate died prior to election, I would expect that his name would remain on the ballots, but that his running mate would become the de facto nominee of the party. I would also expect that the party's national committee, in consultation with the running mate, would select a VP candidate, but I don't know that it wouldn't take some action by Congress to allow the new candidate to be elected. I don't know of any authority on that question.

[Wednesdays]

13. The closest it's ever come was Horace Greeley in 1872

He was the Democratic nominee that year. His wife died a week before the election, and, grief-stricken, he died four weeks later. That was before the Electoral College cast its votes, and had he won the most electors, it might have triggered a Constitutional Crisis.

That was avoided since Grant won in a landslide that year.