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“In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse [sic] from them by Ballot the Vice President.”

Seems the intent was that the person receiving the second highest number of Electoral College votes, would be Vice-President. Of course this was prior to the development of political parties and running a candidate for both President and Vice-President on the same ticket.

Is there a law establishing that both the Presidential Candidate and Vice-Presidential Candidate be on the same ticket?

Is there a law establishing that both the Presidential Candidate and Vice-Presidential Candidate be on the same ticket?

I'm no expert. But my guess is that there can be no FEDERAL law requiring this. I believe the method by which electors are selected in a presidential election is left entirely up to the states. However we live in a time where all 50 of the states have determined that every electoral vote cast for president is required to cast the same party vote for vice president.

However, I'm not aware of anything that would prevent a state from changing its mind. For example, I believe a state could choose to have separate popular votes to determine a slate of electors for president and vp, thereby making it possible that the its electors might go with one party for president and another for vp.

Don't take my word on that though, I just think its a fun conversation to have.

12th Amendment

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

The 12th amendment changed the way the vice-president is chosen so that VP is no longer the person with the 2nd most votes. But as l read it, the pres and vice-pres should be on completely separate ballots ( i.e. not on the same “ticket”). I don’t know what political machinations allow the parties to form “tickets”.

Seems the intent was that the person receiving the second highest number of Electoral College votes, would be Vice-President. Of course this was prior to the development of political parties and running a candidate for both President and Vice-President on the same ticket.

In which case, Trump's VP would be Herself, her crooked and skanky Self! At least until Trump's Justice Department got into gear. And God help us if the Donald should croak first!

But that got changed when the Twelfth Amendment was ratified in 1804. It required that each elector vote separately and specifically for President and Vice President, instead of simply casting two votes for President. That reform gave rise to the notion of a ticket, in which a presidential candidate teams up with a compatible vice presidential candidate.

It took a while for the process to be debugged. For instance, as late as 1864, the first Republican president chose a 'Rat as his running mate, in the interest of fostering national unity, in the wake of the Civil War. But, unfortunately, on 16 April 1865, the President got shot, and the Vice President became President. He was totally incompetent and escaped removal from office by one vote when he was impeached in 1868.