[BP2]

Missouri election laws are quite clear. No subtitutions of any listed candidate is allowed on the ballot within three weeks of the election. Carnahan died 20 days before hand. His name had to stay on the ballot.

And with 50 states, all with slightly different election laws in place, it could cause upheaval if all of this is true.

If Obama did NOT make an official legal name change along the way, all it could take is ONE Secretary of State to NOT certify election results to throw the whole electoral process off.

THAT could get really ugly and make Florida 2000 look tame by comparison...

[Non-Sequitur]

And with 50 states, all with slightly different election laws in place, it could cause upheaval if all of this is true.

I would wager that all 50 have slight variations in their election laws, yes.

If Obama did NOT make an official legal name change along the way, all it could take is ONE Secretary of State to NOT certify election results to throw the whole electoral process off.

Local Secretaries of State don't certify presidential elections. The Senate does that based on the results of the Electoral College.