First President Not to Vote on Election Day

[ClydeR]

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will both cast their ballots for the 2012 election early, the couple announced today on Twitter.

The announcement means Mr. Obama will become the first presidential candidate to not vote in-person on election day, according to his campaign.

More... (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/obamas-cast-ballots-early-a-presidential-first/)

I don't approve of early voting. It makes it too easy. Voting should not be easy.

[Showal]

We're living in the future! Accept it, ClydeR!!!

[Atlanteax]

Maybe he's voting early and not on election day because he knows in advance that he will lose?

[Jarvan]

Maybe he is using the strategy...

Vote Early, Vote Often!

[Kembal]

I don't approve of early voting. It makes it too easy. Voting should not be easy.

Ok, this was subtle for the ClydeR persona. Good one.

[Tgo01]

Obama must have another talk show to appear on on election day.

[Parkbandit]

Ok, this was subtle for the ClydeR persona. Good one.

It was about as subtle as a gun.

[Back]

Voting early also. Why wait in line on election day? I've got leisurley things to do!

[Androidpk]

Obama must have another talk show to appear on on election day.

No, he's going to be golfing.

[Kembal]

It was about as subtle as a gun.

Well, yes, but we are talking about the ClydeR persona here. Usually it's a lot more blatantly outright.

[liloldman]

If he dies between now and then he'll get to vote twice or may three times

[Tgo01]

If he dies between now and then he'll get to vote twice or may three times

You know that made me think of something, what does happen if a presidential candidate dies this close to election day? Does the other guy win by default? Does his running mate automatically step in take his place? What about the people who voted early for candidate A and not technically for his running mate, do those votes still count for the running mate?

And what would happen if enough people voted early to elect candidate A before election day but candidate A died before election day? Since they technically voted for candidate A and not his running mate you can't really say they voted for his running mate right?

Has this ever happened before? Are there procedures for this sort of thing? Or is it something we're going to once again leave in the Supreme Court's hands in case it ever does happen?

[Latrinsorm]

Obviously his wife would take over, and I think we would all be pretty cool with that.

[Jarvan]

Obviously his wife would take over, and I think we would all be pretty cool with that.

I don't know.. Miss -I Never Blink- Would freak me the hell out during televised speeches.

[Bobmuhthol]

And what would happen if enough people voted early to elect candidate A before election day but candidate A died before election day? Since they technically voted for candidate A and not his running mate you can't really say they voted for his running mate right?When you vote for a president, you're also voting for his successor if he dies. It's a certainty that the vice president is next in line. And if the vice president also dies, everyone has to adopt his successor, so that can't factor into voting. So yes, a vote for a president/vice president ticket is identical to voting for the vice president to become president under the condition that the president-elect is dead. You're not allowed to say, "I want Obama to be president, but in case he dies, I'd really rather vote for someone else to be president."

Has this ever happened before?No. The closest we've had is like 12 days after taking office. Edit: William Henry Harrison lived longer than I thought. He was president for 31 days.

[msconstrew]

Has this ever happened before? Are there procedures for this sort of thing? Or is it something we're going to once again leave in the Supreme Court's hands in case it ever does happen?

It has never occurred with a presidential candidate, but Mel Carnahan was a Missouri senate candidate who died shortly before the election. MO state law prevented the removal of his name from the ballot so close to the election, so the governor promised to appoint his wife in his place if he was posthumously elected. I believe he WAS elected (MO therefore elected a dead man) and the governor followed through with his promise.

[Tgo01]

It has never occurred with a presidential candidate, but Mel Carnahan was a Missouri senate candidate who died shortly before the election. MO state law prevented the removal of his name from the ballot so close to the election, so the governor promised to appoint his wife in his place if he was posthumously elected. I believe he WAS elected (MO therefore elected a dead man) and the governor followed through with his promise.

That's so weird. I wonder how they would have handled that if he didn't have a wife.

[poloneus]

That's so weird. I wonder how they would have handled that if he didn't have a wife.

Each state can make their own rules on how to deal with this. I'm not aware of any that don't give the appointment power to the governor. Some states will let the one appointed serve the remainder of the term, while others call for an election during the next immediate cycle and you have a senator that will be elected for less than a 6 year term.

[poloneus]

Has this ever happened before? Are there procedures for this sort of thing? Or is it something we're going to once again leave in the Supreme Court's hands in case it ever does happen??

There are procedures for just about anything imaginable. If you don't have a clear winner, the House of Representatives chooses the next President. That has happened at least twice if memory serves (John Quincy Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes). In our current system they would likely have to pick the other major candidate by default.

As a result of the Cold War a doomsday scenario was created by Congress. If people start dying the list goes to V.P., Speaker of the House, President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, then the cabinet. I believe the line in the cabinet goes by when that office was created, so head of Homeland Security would be last in line.

[Warriorbird]

There are procedures for just about anything imaginable. If you don't have a clear winner, the House of Representatives chooses the next President. That has happened at least twice if memory serves (John Quincy Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes). In our current system they would likely have to pick the other major candidate by default.

As a result of the Cold War a doomsday scenario was created by Congress. If people start dying the list goes to V.P., Speaker of the House, President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, then the cabinet. I believe the line in the cabinet goes by when that office was created, so head of Homeland Security would be last in line.

It's the assistant director and they keep them away from everybody and just make them wait out 4 year terms.

[Latrinsorm]

That's so weird. I wonder how they would have handled that if he didn't have a wife.You've heard of the Cadaver Synod, right? Same principle: they would dig up his corpse and have someone marry it.

[Tgo01]

CHICAGO -- President Barack Obama has cast his ballot early, returning to his hometown of Chicago to drum up support for early voting.

The president says, "all across the country we're seeing a lot of early voting." He says it was "really convenient" but jokes, "I can't tell you who I voted for."

Obama signed forms and showed his driver's license at a South Side Chicago voting site and then voted at a blue voting machine.

It was the first time a sitting presidential nominee voted early and reflects the Obama campaign's strategy to encourage as many voters as possible to vote early or by absentee ballot.

About 35 percent of the electorate is expected to vote before Election Day.

I laughed at the irony. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/obama-in-chicago-vote-early_n_2019392.html)

[TheEschaton]

It has never occurred with a presidential candidate, but Mel Carnahan was a Missouri senate candidate who died shortly before the election. MO state law prevented the removal of his name from the ballot so close to the election, so the governor promised to appoint his wife in his place if he was posthumously elected. I believe he WAS elected (MO therefore elected a dead man) and the governor followed through with his promise.

You remember who the dead man beat, right? John Ashcroft, who was then made our Attorney General when he couldn't even beat a dead man for the Senate.

[Back]

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