What happens if there is a tie

RDKirk

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The Constitution is pretty clear on how this plays out. If there is no winner in the Electoral College, Article 2, Section 1, Clause 3 states that the decision goes to the House of Representatives while the Senate picks the vice president. But the voting in the House is different from the Senate.

In the vote for vice president, each Senator has one vote. But in the House each state has only one vote for president—regardless of its size—and a presidential candidate needs 26 states to win. Voting for president is set up in the Constitution so that in every situation, vote is by state rather than by a popular vote (the Founding Fathers were wary of pure popular voting).

If the presidential race should end up in the House the outcome would depend on which party controls the state’s delegation. As it stands Republicans are in the majority, with control of 26 state delegations. Democrats control 23 state delegations and one state, Pennsylvania, has a tied delegation: 9 Democrats and 9 Republicans.

But the Congress is sworn in before the Electoral College votes are read out in the Senate. In the case of a tie it will be the next Congress not the current Congress that votes on the presidency, and a handful of 2020 congressional elections could decide the presidential election.

That's why every election matters.
 
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Pavel Mosko

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Looking at the electoral college numbers for the undeclared states, a tie is theoretically possible. Am I right to think that the House of Representatives then chooses?

In that case they must fight it out as a Trial by Combat! I believe the Smithsonian will supply them with some kind of vintage pair of sabers or cutlasses so they can do that pirate style.
 
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Vanellus

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In that case they must fight it out as a Trial by Combat! I believe the Smithsonian will supply them with some kind of vintage pair of sabers or cutlasses so they can do that pirate style.
Funnily enough I've been thinking of the end of the film The Big Country - except burly Burl Ives seems politically more like Biden and the thinner richer Charles Bickford seems more politically like Trump - but their physical builds are the reverse of expectation. Not that I'm actually advocating a shoot out.
 
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RDKirk

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Thanks RDKirk - that was helpful.

Is the voter turnout different for the Presidency/Senate/House? This is a strong argument that everyone should vote in all the elections even though it's a lot at one time.

Elections for House representatives come up every two years. Many people, particularly Democrats, ignore those "mid-cycle" elections. But they're also critical.
 
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ArmenianJohn

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Looking at the electoral college numbers for the undeclared states, a tie is theoretically possible. Am I right to think that the House of Representatives then chooses?
Same as in Baseball, tie goes to the runner. The runner is the offense, the pitching/fielding team is the defense, so that means it would go to Biden since he is on offense and Trump is on defense.
 
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Halbhh

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In that case they must fight it out as a Trial by Combat! I believe the Smithsonian will supply them with some kind of vintage pair of sabers or cutlasses so they can do that pirate style.
I think -- my guess -- is that judges won't go along with attempts to override the U.S. Constitution specifying that each state -- Pennsylvania for example -- has authority over it's own vote and vote counting process. As in the U.S. Constitution amendments 9 through 12.

As you can see, by the Constitutional wording it's up to Pennsylvania what Pennsylvania's vote counting process is, and not up to any other parties except solely Pennsylvania alone.

Now, possibly attempts to override this Constitutional authority of states might succeed....but I'm hopeful that such attempts won't succeed, and the Constitution would be preserved in its clear intent.

So, I'm expecting/hoping the votes that arrived by election day to all be counted (just like in the past), and that means we have to wait for the counting, under authority of each state itself, to figure out who won.

Meanwhile, we will continue to see the true colors of each side. Look who is accusing ahead of time that the other party is trying to steal the election, while actually the accuser is the one suggesting and looking to attempt to prevent the state's vote counting from finishing by its own process and authority on its own....
 
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Hazelelponi

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Greek wrestling match, winner takes all.

If it's wrestling then Trump takes the win... Biden is way too frail - Trump has the physical edge... lol
 
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Halbhh

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If it's wrestling then Trump takes the win... Biden is way too frail - Trump has the physical edge... lol
Though I know this appeals to some Americans --

It does not appeal to most Americans. Instead, they are repulsed by it.
 
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Monksailor

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Though I know this appeals to some Americans --

It does not appeal to most Americans. Instead, they are repulsed by it.
We weren't voting for personality, but rather, hopefully, someone who can get things done and who knows how to do it, and has the courage and perseverance to get it done.
 
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Halbhh

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We weren't voting for personality, but rather, hopefully, someone who can get things done and who knows how to do it, and has the courage and perseverance to get it done.
There's a tragedy -- Trump is a great salesman and talker, creating an appearance 'great' things are being done....

It's illusion. For some things even the opposite is the reality. Because of Trump many of the things people hoped will happen will turn out over time to be worse than they would have been.
 
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RDKirk

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There's a tragedy -- Trump is a great salesman and talker, creating an appearance 'great' things are being done....

It's illusion. For some things even the opposite is the reality. Because of Trump many of the things people hoped will happen will turn out over time to be worse than they would have been.

Trump is not a leadership engine that gets anything done, not the way Reagan was. The bureaucracy has been robust enough to get its job done despite Trump, but the deterioration he causes is showing its effect.
 
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jayem

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Greek wrestling match, winner takes all.

Considering the pandemic (and Trump’s infection) both he and Joe should totally quarantine themselves for 2 weeks before the match. During which time they’ll get daily nasal swabs to make sure neither one is colonized with SARS-CoV-2.

But the match would be only half of the contest. Physical condition isn’t enough. The other half would be a 100-question quiz on the Constitution and American history. They can study up during their quarantine. Donald Trump especially needs this.
 
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GoldenBoy89

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I’m thinking we do an 80s sitcom plot and have them both be president together for a term. Oh, the hijinks that would ensue!

Don’t miss another hilarious episode of Our Two Presidents.

Weeknights at 8 on ABC.
 
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