What Happens if the Presidential Election ends in a tie? | Contingent Election Explained

Summary

In this video, the process of a contingent election in the U.S. is explained in detail. If no presidential candidate reaches the required 270 electoral votes, the House of Representatives decides the president, with each state casting one vote. The video uses the 2020 election as an example to illustrate how states' delegations vote based on party lines. Additionally, the Senate elects the vice president, which could lead to a situation where the president and vice president are from different parties. The video highlights the complexity and potential for a divided outcome in such scenarios.

Takeaways

• 🗳️ If no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses the president.
• 🏛️ Each state delegation in the House gets exactly one vote in this contingent election.
• ✋ A candidate needs at least 26 state votes to win the presidency in the House vote.
• 📊 Each state's House members vote internally to decide which presidential candidate receives the state's single vote.
• 🌉 Example: California's delegation of 53 members would give one vote to the candidate supported by the majority of its members.
• 🤝 Example: Texas's delegation would similarly award one vote to the candidate favored by most of its 36 House members.
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• 🔁 If no candidate reaches 26 votes, the House repeats the voting process until a candidate achieves a majority.
• 🪑 The Senate chooses the vice president if no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes.
• 🧑‍⚖️ In the Senate, every member votes, and a vice presidential candidate needs at least 51 votes to win.
• ⚖️ It's possible for the House to elect a president from one party and the Senate to elect a vice president from the other party.
• 📌 The examples provided are hypothetical and meant to illustrate the process, not predict actual outcomes.

Q & A

What happens if no presidential candidate reaches a majority of electoral votes?

If no presidential candidate reaches a majority of electoral votes, the decision of who becomes president is made by the House of Representatives, with each state delegation casting one vote. A candidate needs 26 votes to win.

How does the Senate decide who becomes vice president in the event of an electoral deadlock?

In the event of a deadlock in the electoral college, the Senate votes to decide who becomes vice president. A candidate needs a simple majority of 51 votes to win.

How is the House of Representatives involved in resolving an electoral deadlock?

If no candidate reaches the required majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives decides the election outcome. Each state delegation casts one vote, and a candidate needs at least 26 votes to win.

In the example of California, how would the House of Representatives vote in the 2020 election?

In this example, if California had 45 Democratic and 8 Republican House members, the Democratic members would vote for Biden, and the Republican members would vote for Trump. This would give Biden 45 votes from California, awarding him one vote from the state.

How does the Texas delegation vote in the example provided?

In the example, if the Texas House delegation consisted of 23 Republicans and 13 Democrats, and each member voted along party lines, Trump would receive 23 votes from Texas, awarding him one vote from the state.

What happens if neither candidate receives at least 26 votes from the House of Representatives?

If neither candidate receives at least 26 votes, the House will start over the voting process until a candidate achieves a majority of 26 votes.

How many votes are needed for the vice presidential candidate to win?

To win the vice presidency, a vice presidential candidate needs to secure at least 51 votes in the Senate.

Can the House and Senate elect different political parties to the presidency and vice presidency?

Yes, it is possible for the House of Representatives to elect a Republican president, while the Senate elects a Democrat vice president, or vice versa, because the two bodies vote separately for these positions.

What does it mean that each state delegation in the House gets one vote?

Each state delegation in the House of Representatives gets one vote, meaning that regardless of how many members a state has, the entire delegation votes together as a bloc. This system simplifies the process but requires a majority of states' votes to win.

Is the voting process in the House based on individual members' preferences or party lines?

In the example given, the voting in the House follows party lines. Democratic members vote for the Democratic candidate, and Republican members vote for the Republican candidate. However, the actual outcome would depend on the specific votes of the members.