[ad_1]
Image copyright
fake images
President Trump and Vice President Pence were officially nominated by the Republican Party in August.
Just weeks before the presidential election, Donald Trump tested positive for coronavirus.
Throw a series of questions about what might happen next.
What campaign events will the president miss?
Trump is required to go into self-isolation for 10 days after receiving his positive Covid test on October 1, so he may still be able to participate in the next presidential debate, scheduled for October 15.
A rally scheduled to take place in Florida on Friday was ruled out. So was a video conference with vulnerable older people.
Trump has other rallies scheduled during this period, which will now have to be canceled or postponed.
Under what circumstances could the election be delayed?
President Trump’s period of self-isolation clearly has an impact on his ability to campaign.
The question has therefore been raised whether the elections could be delayed and how it could happen.
Presidential elections in the United States are held by law on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every four years, so this year it is November 3.
Changing the date would be up to US lawmakers, not the president.
A majority of them in both Houses of Congress would be required to vote in favor of any change of date. That’s unlikely, given it would have to go through the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.
Image copyright
fake images
President Trump covered his face at the first debate, but was not photographed wearing it
Even if it were changed, the United States constitution states that a presidential administration only lasts four years. So, President Trump’s term will automatically expire at noon on January 20, 2021.
Changing this date would require an amendment to the constitution. This would have to be approved by two-thirds of US lawmakers or state legislatures, then three-quarters of US states, which is, again, unlikely.
What if President Trump were incapacitated?
For now, President Trump is reported to have “mild symptoms,” but if he became too ill to perform his duties, this is what the United States constitution states:
Amendment 25 allows a president to hand over power to the vice president, which means that Mike Pence would become interim president. Once in shape, Trump could regain his job.
Image copyright
fake images
President Trump boarded the same helicopter as Hope Hicks on Wednesday. Hicks later tested positive for coronavirus
If the president was unwell to hand over power, the cabinet and vice president could declare him unable to continue, and Pence would take office.
If Pence were also incapacitated under the Presidential Succession Act, Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, a Democrat, would be next in line, although constitutional experts say such a transfer of power would provoke legal battles.
If she was unwilling or unable to take office, she would be handed over to a high-ranking Republican senator, currently 87-year-old Charles E Grassley. This would almost certainly face legal challenges as well.
Has a president been incapacitated before?
In 1985, when President Ronald Reagan was in the hospital for a cancer operation, he put his vice president, George HW Bush, in charge.
In 2002 and 2007, President George W. Bush did the same to his vice president when he was sedated during routine colonoscopies.
If Trump couldn’t run for office, whose name would be on the ballot?
If, for whatever reason, a candidate chosen by a party as its presidential candidate cannot fulfill that role, there are clear procedures that would come into play.
Although Vice President Mike Pence would initially assume presidential duties, he would not necessarily become the Republican party’s electoral candidate, as they have already officially nominated Trump.
Under party rules, the 168 members of the Republic National Committee (RNC) would vote to choose a new presidential candidate, with Mike Pence as one of the possible candidates.
If Mr. Pence were elected, a new running mate would have to be selected.
Image copyright
fake images
Vice President Pence would assume the presidential functions, but would not automatically be the Republican candidate.
Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have replaced their presidential candidate after officially selecting them.
What about early voting?
This would create many uncertainties, experts say, since millions of votes have already been mailed with the names of the candidates proposed by their parties.
Early voting in person has also started in some states.
The vote would likely go ahead with the disabled candidate’s name still on the ballot, writes Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine.
But there would be questions about whether state laws allow nominees to cast votes in the United States electoral college, called presidential electors, to vote for the replacement candidate.
What about changing the name of the candidate, if one retires?
“President Trump will almost certainly remain on the ballot no matter what happens,” writes Richard Pildes, a law professor with an election experience.
He notes that, in theory, the Republican Party could request a court order to change a candidate’s name, but in practice there would not be enough time.
Read more about Reality Check
Send us your questions
[ad_2]
