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ILLUSTRATION. Debate between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Source: Reuters | Editor: Khomarul Hidayat
KONTAN.CO.ID – WASHINGTON. President of the United States (USA) Donald Trump said he had tested positive for corona (Covid-19). Trump also went through isolation.
Reuters reported, according to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, that Trump had only mild symptoms.
But the positive corona diagnosis comes less than five weeks before the US presidential election on November 3. This has raised questions about what happens when a presidential candidate or an elected presidential candidate dies or is left defenseless.
Read also: Donald Trump: I’m starting to feel good, the next day is the real test
Here is the rule of law of the United States and the party rules that deal with this scenario.
1. Can the November 3 elections be postponed?
Yes, but that is very unlikely to happen. The Constitution of the United States gives Congress the power to set dates for elections. Under US law, elections take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every four years.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives will almost certainly object to the postponement of the election, even if the Republican-controlled Senate decides to do so. Presidential elections have never been postponed.
2. What happens if a candidate dies before the election?
Both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee have rules that require members to vote for successors. However, it seemed too late to change candidates at the time of the election.
The initial vote is ongoing, with more than 2.2 million votes cast, according to the University of Florida’s United States Election Project. The deadline to replace ballots in many states has also passed. The ballots, which are expected to be widely used due to the coronavirus pandemic, have been sent to voters in two dozen US states.
Unless the United States Congress postpones the election, voters will continue to choose between Republican Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, even if one of them dies before November 3. However, if the winner dies, a new series of questions arises.
Read also: Xi Jinping wishes Trump speedy recovery from corona virus
