Liability
Locked Account.
I think I might have to AMEND (i.e., correct and change) my answer.
I just discovered (but I have not yet verified) that if the vacancy at the top of the ticket happens after the nomination, each major party has rules that allow for the respective Party Chairmen to call a meeting to select the new nominee.
Live and learn.
I just discovered (but I have not yet verified) that if the vacancy at the top of the ticket happens after the nomination, each major party has rules that allow for the respective Party Chairmen to call a meeting to select the new nominee.
-- Presidential Death During the Election Process | Teachinghistory.orgBoth the Republican and the Democratic parties have rules in their bylaws governing how to fill the vacancy. The Party Chair calls a meeting of the National Committee, and the Committee members at the meeting vote to fill the vacancy on the ticket. A candidate must receive a majority of the votes to win the party's nod.
The same process would happen if the vacancy were to occur after the general election but before the Electoral College voting. If a vacancy should occur on the winning ticket, it would then be the party's responsibility to fill it and provide a candidate for whom their electors could vote.
Live and learn.
-- http://www.gop.com/images/legal/2008_RULES_Adopted.pdfRULE NO. 9
Filling Vacancies in Nominations
(a) The Republican National Committee is
hereby authorized and empowered to fill any and all
vacancies which may occur by reason of death,
declination, or otherwise of the Republican candidate
for President of the United States or the Republican
candidate for Vice President of the United States, as
nominated by the national convention, or the
Republican National Committee may reconvene the
national convention for the purpose of filling any such
vacancies.
(b) In voting under this rule, the Republican
National Committee members representing any state
shall be entitled to cast the same number of votes as
said state was entitled to cast at the national convention.
(c) In the event that the members of the
Republican National Committee from any state shall
not be in agreement in the casting of votes hereunder,
the votes of such state shall be divided equally,
including fractional votes, among the members of the
Republican National Committee present or voting by
proxy.
(d) No candidate shall be chosen to fill any
such vacancy except upon receiving a majority of the
votes entitled to be cast in the election.