So, what happens if a candidate dies prior to the election?

Bob Hubbard

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What would happen if Obama and possibly Biden, or McCain and possibly Palin, or all 4 die prior to the election?

Has a candidate for the presidency ever died prior to or close to the election?

I found this on Yahoo, though it only seems to apply -after- not before the election.

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution states in Section 3:

"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."


Although, a caveat:
I'm pretty sure this only applies to a "President elect" as in someone elected President *by the electoral college,* not on election day. If McCain dies after election day, but prior to the electoral college voting, I'd assume the party would nominate a replacement - most likely the VP and then a new V.P.
 

elder999

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As near as I can tell, if the candidate dies before the election, they do it all over again-the party national committee chooses another candidate, without a convention. Delegates from each state would vote-and odds are, they'd vote in the vice-presidential candidate, and then have to choose another ......
 

arnisador

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I think that's right--the party chooses a new nominee. Isn't that what happened with Thomas Eagleton?
 

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