2020 US General Election Thread X: For Those About to Vote

[San Lumen]

I dont see it as likely and a contingent election in the House would a absolute unmitigated disaster given how so many don't understand how it works. Each individual member doesnt get a vote. Each state delegation as a whole gets one vote.

I assume it will happen just because it's the worst possible thing that could happen.

It is.

[Torisakia]

538 gives it a 1/100 chance of happening.

Someone told me Nancy Pelosi becomes president if that happens. I thought it came down to the popular vote, but jesus. shudders

That would make me consider emigrating.

How would she become president? I thought a tie went to a contingent vote?

[Torisakia]

Yes.

Yes to which?

Both. I legally can't vote (as far as you know) and, even if I could, I don't want to.

[Tarsonis]

thats actually not out of the realm of possibility.

538 gives it a 1/100 chance of happening.

a 1% chance is still a chance.

[Cultural Posadism]

538 gives it a 1/100 chance of happening.

I dont see it as likely

It is unlikely. 1/100 chance of happening. I for one don't think it's gonna happen. I'm surprisingly confident of a Biden win, given all the data available and how it seems that some of the GOP's voter suppression efforts are going to fail them.

[Cultural Posadism]

538 gives it a 1/100 chance of happening.

a 1% chance is still a chance.

Yeah. I was agreeing with you.

[San Lumen]

Yes to which?

Both. I legally can't vote (as far as you know) and, even if I could, I don't want to.

Based on your statements Im going with your not voting age yet and that's the last im going to say on this.

[Cisairse]

Someone told me Nancy Pelosi becomes president if that happens. I thought it came down to the popular vote, but jesus. shudders

That would make me consider emigrating.

How would she become president? I thought a tie went to a contingent vote?

This is correct.

If the House cannot select a president (which is very possible; Democrats only need to flip a few contingents today in order to prevent either party from reaching a majority of contingents), then the U.S. basically goes into constitutional limbo. Ms. Pelosi cannot become president, but it would take a lengthy court battle to determine that she cannot become president (during which she may temporarily take the reins as acting president). What happens after that is very, very uncertain.

[Aeritai]

Geezums, leave Torisakia alone. I'm one of those 'voting is a duty' people and even I can see they don't want to vote, and in the US that's their choice.

^ I agree with this, if Torisakia doesn't want to vote then that's his choice.

[New haven america]

Well you are wrong.

The Electoral College doesn't take the Popular Vote into account. Trump lost the PV by almost 2 million+ but won the EC cause people in key states who should've voted sat out, leading to Trump winning the EC due to voter apathy and thus becoming the President.

Here's some advice: If you want to rail against the system, learn how the system works first.

The electoral college ensures that New York City and California don't run the country on their own, same concept as the Senate. You can't have the cities ruling the nation with no consideration for other groups. See: Czechoslovakia. Getting rid of said college would put a ton of states in a position where their populations are, in essence, powerless.

Now, you could argue: Who cares! The candidate most popular with the people should win. Well guess what kids, that's why we have state's rights. Some states do stuff, as a matter of fact, in direct opposition to the federal government. New Jersey, NY, California? Liberal as can be, (and California is an absolute dumpster fire), so everyone can be governed in a way they chose to be.

3 points:

1. Land Area=/=Population. Maybe if you actually put people in that land then their opinion might matter more, but since that ain't happening anytime soon, it doesn't. I don't know if you knew this but land isn't people, sorry.

2. The EC doesn't actually help people in states with lower populations. In reality it gives power to swing states. For example, a Presidential candidate hasn't campaigned in Wyoming for 30+ years.

3. Fun fact: The EC was made to keep the South happy, because those states were upset that in order to have equal representation they'd have to count their slave population as actual humans, maybe even free them, and they weren't about that. So if you support the EC then you also support institutional discrimination and disenfranchisement.

[Kowani]

I will never get over the fact that, by and large, South America currently has far better electoral systems than the United States.

I don't need to register to vote because I'm registered the moment I turn 18. Gerrymandering is not a thing. The electoral college is not a thing. Turnout is not an issue because voting is compulsory. We don't have to worry about voting machines being hacked or fucking up because we don't use them. Provincial and municipal governments don't get to fuck around with the number and locations of voting places. Voting places are guarded by the military, as are ballots, to prevent any shenanigans. Election day is a national holiday and always takes place on a Sunday to boot. And while I do have to present an ID to vote, t's a national ID that's easily and cheaply issued to everyone.

Stop making me jealous

[Cultural Posadism]

How would she become president? I thought a tie went to a contingent vote?

This is correct.

If the House cannot select a president (which is very possible; Democrats only need to flip a few contingents today in order to prevent either party from reaching a majority of contingents), then the U.S. basically goes into constitutional limbo. Ms. Pelosi cannot become president, but it would take a lengthy court battle to determine that she cannot become president (during which she may temporarily take the reins as acting president). What happens after that is very, very uncertain.

It would certainly be the most 2020 result imaginable.

[San Lumen]

How would she become president? I thought a tie went to a contingent vote?

This is correct.

If the House cannot select a president (which is very possible; Democrats only need to flip a few contingents today in order to prevent either party from reaching a majority of contingents), then the U.S. basically goes into constitutional limbo. Ms. Pelosi cannot become president, but it would take a lengthy court battle to determine that she cannot become president (during which she may temporarily take the reins as acting president). What happens after that is very, very uncertain.

The succession act says she is third in line. Why can't she become president?

[Torisakia]

How would she become president? I thought a tie went to a contingent vote?

This is correct.

If the House cannot select a president (which is very possible; Democrats only need to flip a few contingents today in order to prevent either party from reaching a majority of contingents), then the U.S. basically goes into constitutional limbo. Ms. Pelosi cannot become president, but it would take a lengthy court battle to determine that she cannot become president (during which she may temporarily take the reins as acting president). What happens after that is very, very uncertain.

At that point we just pull names from a hat.

[US-SSR]

I will never get over the fact that, by and large, South America currently has far better electoral systems than the United States.

I don't need to register to vote because I'm registered the moment I turn 18. Gerrymandering is not a thing. The electoral college is not a thing. Turnout is not an issue because voting is compulsory. We don't have to worry about voting machines being hacked or fucking up because we don't use them. Provincial and municipal governments don't get to fuck around with the number and locations of voting places. Voting places are guarded by the military, as are ballots, to prevent any shenanigans. Election day is a national holiday and always takes place on a Sunday to boot. And while I do have to present an ID to vote, t's a national ID that's easily and cheaply issued to everyone.

Where in South America? Some of us may need a bolthole depending on how today's voting goes.

As far as military guarding ballots, I've heard tell of vote-transporting trucks with false walls: legit ballot boxes get loaded up and locked in with the military "guardians" who then remove the false walls, take the ruling party's ballot boxes out of them and replace them with the actually cast ballots. In Mexican Spanish this was called alquimia -- turning leaden opposition votes into golden ruling party ones. just sayin'.

[Cisairse]

This is correct.

If the House cannot select a president (which is very possible; Democrats only need to flip a few contingents today in order to prevent either party from reaching a majority of contingents), then the U.S. basically goes into constitutional limbo. Ms. Pelosi cannot become president, but it would take a lengthy court battle to determine that she cannot become president (during which she may temporarily take the reins as acting president). What happens after that is very, very uncertain.

The succession act says she is third in line. Why can't she become president?

Because the succession act is fantastically unconstitutional and nearly every constitutional scholar worth their salt has been saying this for 30 years.

Members of Congress cannot accede to the presidency, only members of the executive branch can. If there's no president or vice-president, it's seriously an open question as to whether the rest of the succession act (ie, that puts Secretary of State as #5 in line) would remain in effect after SCOTUS rules the #3 and #4 slots unconstitutional.

[Torisakia]

Geezums, leave Torisakia alone. I'm one of those 'voting is a duty' people and even I can see they don't want to vote, and in the US that's their choice.

Well people like to bring up the whole thing of "well if you don't vote you have no right to complain" (which makes no sense, but I won't get into that now), even though I haven't liked this country since I was a young boy.

We want to go on and on about personal freedoms, yet we'll do everything in our power to dictate others actions.

[San Lumen]

The succession act says she is third in line. Why can't she become president?

Because the succession act is fantastically unconstitutional and nearly every constitutional scholar worth their salt has been saying this for 30 years.

Members of Congress cannot accede to the presidency, only members of the executive branch can. If there's no president or vice-president, it's seriously an open question as to whether the rest of the succession act (ie, that puts Secretary of State as #5 in line) would remain in effect after SCOTUS rules the #3 and #4 slots unconstitutional.

How is it unconstitutional? If its struck down who would be president if neither a president nor vice president can be chosen?

[Cultural Posadism]

I will never get over the fact that, by and large, South America currently has far better electoral systems than the United States.

I don't need to register to vote because I'm registered the moment I turn 18. Gerrymandering is not a thing. The electoral college is not a thing. Turnout is not an issue because voting is compulsory. We don't have to worry about voting machines being hacked or fucking up because we don't use them. Provincial and municipal governments don't get to fuck around with the number and locations of voting places. Voting places are guarded by the military, as are ballots, to prevent any shenanigans. Election day is a national holiday and always takes place on a Sunday to boot. And while I do have to present an ID to vote, t's a national ID that's easily and cheaply issued to everyone.

Stop making me jealous

Also, we elect three senators per province, instead of just two. Two for the party that comes in first and one for the second.

[San Lumen]

Geezums, leave Torisakia alone. I'm one of those 'voting is a duty' people and even I can see they don't want to vote, and in the US that's their choice.

Well people like to bring up the whole thing of "well if you don't vote you have no right to complain" (which makes no sense, but I won't get into that now), even though I haven't liked this country since I was a young boy.

We want to go on and on about personal freedoms, yet we'll do everything in our power to dictate others actions.

As a gay man I got equal rights by people voting. By not voting your putting that in jeopardy.

[Kowani]

This is correct.

If the House cannot select a president (which is very possible; Democrats only need to flip a few contingents today in order to prevent either party from reaching a majority of contingents), then the U.S. basically goes into constitutional limbo. Ms. Pelosi cannot become president, but it would take a lengthy court battle to determine that she cannot become president (during which she may temporarily take the reins as acting president). What happens after that is very, very uncertain.

At that point we just pull names from a hat.

Here's how Bernie can still win

[Cultural Posadism]

I will never get over the fact that, by and large, South America currently has far better electoral systems than the United States.

I don't need to register to vote because I'm registered the moment I turn 18. Gerrymandering is not a thing. The electoral college is not a thing. Turnout is not an issue because voting is compulsory. We don't have to worry about voting machines being hacked or fucking up because we don't use them. Provincial and municipal governments don't get to fuck around with the number and locations of voting places. Voting places are guarded by the military, as are ballots, to prevent any shenanigans. Election day is a national holiday and always takes place on a Sunday to boot. And while I do have to present an ID to vote, t's a national ID that's easily and cheaply issued to everyone.

Where in South America? Some of us may need a bolthole depending on how today's voting goes.

Argentina. I probably wouldn't recommend moving here right now because it's looking kinda messy for the near future, but maybe 2021 will be a good year.

As far as military guarding ballots, I've heard tell of vote-transporting trucks with false walls: legit ballot boxes get loaded up and locked in with the military "guardians" who then remove the false walls, take the ruling party's ballot boxes out of them and replace them with the actually cast ballots. In Mexican Spanish this was called alquimia -- turning leaden opposition votes into golden ruling party ones. just sayin'.

Oh yeah, that shit might happen if the military is dirty.

[Torisakia]

Well people like to bring up the whole thing of "well if you don't vote you have no right to complain" (which makes no sense, but I won't get into that now), even though I haven't liked this country since I was a young boy.

We want to go on and on about personal freedoms, yet we'll do everything in our power to dictate others actions.

As a gay man I got equal rights by people voting. By not voting your putting that in jeopardy.

That entire issue could be mitigated if we simply did away with sex with some biological engineering, but you guys aren't ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.

[Kowani]

Stop making me jealous

Also, we elect three senators per province, instead of just two. Two for the party that comes in first and one for the second.

...I will make you a US citizen just so you shut up I stg

[Cisairse]

Because the succession act is fantastically unconstitutional and nearly every constitutional scholar worth their salt has been saying this for 30 years.

Members of Congress cannot accede to the presidency, only members of the executive branch can. If there's no president or vice-president, it's seriously an open question as to whether the rest of the succession act (ie, that puts Secretary of State as #5 in line) would remain in effect after SCOTUS rules the #3 and #4 slots unconstitutional.

How is it unconstitutional?

Wikipedia has a pretty good rundown of why the Succession Act of '47 is unconstitutional.
TLDR: The succession clause of the Constitution explicitly says that only "Officers of the United States" are eligible to act as president in the event of succession, and that phrase explicitly refers to members of the executive branch. There are notes from J. Madison during Convention that make this doubly explicit.

There are other, more minor concerns, but the "You can't actually put these people in the line of succession" is definitely the biggest one.

If its struck down who would be president if neither a president nor vice president can be chosen?

That would be up to the Supreme Court to decide. It is not clear.