The Assassination of the President-Elect
The President-Elect is assassinated between the popular vote and the meeting of the Electoral College.
On December 2nd, a month after a bitter election, the President-Elect is assassinated at a rally. The Electoral College meets in exactly 12 days to cast their official ballots.
You are the Chair of the National Party Committee
The Situation Room
>The Vice President-Elect demands the electors immediately consolidate around them.
>Rival factions within your own party are holding backroom meetings, demanding the electors choose a totally different candidate.
>The opposition party files lawsuits claiming that "dead votes" cannot be legally cast, throwing the entire election to the courts.
Internal Briefing Notes
• The US Constitution is highly ambiguous regarding a deceased candidate before the Electoral College meets. The 20th Amendment only covers deaths that happen *after* the Electoral College certifies the vote.
• Some state laws heavily bind electors to the popular vote winner and contain no explicit "dead candidate" provision, forcing them to literally vote for a corpse.
• The National Party Rules Committee theoretically has the power to declare a replacement nominee, but it is untested under catastrophic pressure.
Escalation Window
Reveal each phase to see how the situation deteriorates.
You control the party super-delegates and messaging apparatus. Who do you whip the electors to vote for?
Choose your response. There are no good options.
The most stable choice, but it infuriates the party base who feels the VP is too moderate and was never at the top of the ticket.
Install a charismatic party leader. You subvert the democratic ticket, but guarantee the party base is energized.
Total chaos. No one reaches 270, and the decision is thrown to the opposition-controlled House of Representatives.
Related Entities
Explore the institutions, countries, and actors involved in this scenario.
United States
Federal presidential constitutional republic in North America. Power is divided across the presidency, Congress, the states, and the federal courts. National politics is dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties, but third parties and independents still shape the broader system.
President of the United States
Head of state and head of government of the United States. Elected to four-year terms via the Electoral College.