What Happens If Neither Trump nor Biden Wins the Electoral College?

National Review ^ | 09/10/2020 | By ALEXANDRA DESANCTIS

[mylife]

[Salman]

No matter how the election comes out, even an unexpected unequivocal landslide for Biden, the Democrats' direct action wing will attempt to do to Washington DC what they did to Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, NYC, etc.

It won't even matter if Trump has delivered a gracious concession speech the day after Election Day. And Trump will have no choice but to suppress it with military force, which will be framed to be an unwillingness to step aside.

Because they do NOT want a peaceful transition.

[Red Badger]

Not likely. Only once in 244 years..................

[ClearCase_guy]

The newly elected House and Senate are always required to certify the Electoral College in the January after a presidential election

This is what I never understand --

November election results are delayed and confused, and the mail-in ballots muddy the water, and it just becomes an impossible situation. No one can say for sure who won the Presidential race, or how the Electors can be chosen.

And exactly how are the results for the House and Senate more clear?

How does "The newly elected House and Senate" certify the Electoral College in the January? We have no way of knowing who the House and Senate are -- right? Speaker of the House?? Who dat???

[Spirochete]

What’s most important to note is that in a contingent election, the House doesn’t cast its votes in the same way that it would decide on legislation. Instead, each state delegation must cast its vote en bloc

Pelosi is Speaker. The Constitution will be laughed at.

[The Pack Knight]

If something like this actually occurs and if the Republicans still hold a majority of state delegations, I fully expect Pelosi will do everything she can to delay or even prevent the House from actually holding the contingent election.

[MrChips]

Is there a deadline by which votes must be counted prior to this House procedure?

[MrChips]

She may not be in charge in the newly elected House.

[Rona Badger]

These “scenarios” are trotted out every four years, much like the “the most important election ever” cries from both sides. Reagan won 49 states and amassed 525 electoral votes for his second term in 1984. That’s the landslide we’re looking for!

[Meatspace]

You can expect state delegations which are from states that voted for Trump but have a tie or majority Democrats in their delegation to override the wishes of their citizens and vote for Biden.

[Buckeye McFrog]

a prospect that Americans of all political parties should hope to avoid.

The Democrats eagerly hope to embrace. They are all about chaos at this point.

[1Old Pro]

July 11, 1983 Harris Poll:

EARLY INDICATIONS SHOW CLOSE 1984 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
By Louis Harris
As the 1984 presidential race continues to unfold, it is becoming more and more likely that the basic pattern of that election will remain unchanged.

If Ronald Reagan chooses to run again, as is increasingly likely, it seems certain that the 1984 presidential election will be close, with neither the President nor his most probable Democratic opponents assured of any solid lead.

If the 1984 election for the White House is a cliff-hanger, this could give the ultimate edge to candidate Reagan, who is a known and effective campaigner.

[Dr. Sivana]

How does "The newly elected House and Senate" certify the Electoral College in the January? We have no way of knowing who the House and Senate are -- right? Speaker of the House?? Who dat???

There will be few House races contested, so there will be a quorum to elect a Speaker, even if some races are still unsettled. We DID have a dispute over multiple sets of electors ... the Hayes-Tilden race, which Tilden likely won based on earned electoral votes, as Hayes needed all ten contest state electors. A deal was struck that Hayes would get the electors in exchange for an end to "Reconstruction".

[Rona Badger]

Ha, exactly! Great find, thank you.

[1Old Pro]

Polls are always worthless, look at the comments from the September 1984 Reagan Poll: https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/19/us/polls-show-many-choose-reagan-even-if-they-disagree-with-him.html

[SmokingJoe]

You can expect state delegations which are from states that voted for Trump but have a tie or majority Democrats in their delegation to override the wishes of their citizens and vote for Biden.

Like which state for example?

[SmokingJoe]

In past contingent presidential elections, the House has held its votes in a closed session and the votes of each representative were never made public.

Ridiculous.

[Red Badger]

Pelosi won’t be speaker if they lose the House majority........

[ConservativeDude]

If any congressman does so, it would trigger a vote in each chamber on whether to certify the electoral votes in the disputed state or states. Unlike in a contingent election, those votes would be conducted on an individual basis rather than by state delegation, a prospect that Americans of all political parties should hope to avoid.”

This is a pretty low threshold for contesting. I don’t see how the squad will ever resist contesting.