[Political Junkie Too]

I also remember that simultaneously in Hawaii, Representative Patsy Mink died a month before the election, but Democrats demanded she remain on the ballot and she won posthumously.

A special election was then called, instead of disqualifying votes for her and declaring the living candidate (meaning the Republican) the outright winner and avoiding the cost of a second election.

-PJ

[Political Junkie Too]

And the same thing with Mel Carnahan in the Senate. He died in a plane crash a few weeks before the election. Being dead, notes for him should have been disqualified hut Democrats kept him on the ballot and he won. The governor appointed his wife to fill the seat instead of declaring the living Republican John Ashcroft as the winner.

Ashcroft chose not to contest the election. Then, the widow Carnahan voted against confirming Ashcroft as Attorney General.

-PJ