Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cadre.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!mcnc!idis!cadre!geb From: geb@cadre.UUCP Newsgroups: net.legal Subject: Re: what happens if Reagan dies? Message-ID: <94@cadre.UUCP> Date: Sat, 1-Dec-84 10:54:50 EST Article-I.D.: cadre.94 Posted: Sat Dec 1 10:54:50 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 4-Dec-84 05:34:27 EST References: <301@bonnie.UUCP> Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pgh. Lines: 17 The electors are not bound to vote for any specific candidate, despite the fact that they ran as "Reagan" electors. Indeed, mavericks in the past have voted for someone else. In 1972 Roger MacBride, a Nixon elector from Virginia, cast his vote for John Hospers for President, and Toni Nathan for Vice President, making Nathan the first woman ever to receive an electoral vote. (Hospers and Nathan were Libertarian Party nominees.) Since Mondale has only a tiny minority of electors, it would well be possible for the Reagan electors to caucus and decide to elect someone other than Bush (and well they might, since Bush is "too liberal" for a lot of them). If they could be sure of a majority, it would be possible for them to elect anyone they wished, but if they deadlocked, the Democratic House of Representatives would elect the president. They would probably play it safe and elect Bush, otherwise, there would probably be an amendment to the constitution to get rid of the electoral college before the next election.