SAN ANTONIO — We are just about four months away from the presidential election. And tonight's Verify question comes from KENS 5 viewer Eric Sutton who wanted to know what would happen if one of the candidates drops out of the race.
THE QUESTION
If in the upcoming presidential election, one of the candidates were to withdraw from the election but still go on to win the election, could that candidate change his mind and be president?
THE SOURCES
- Keith Nahigian, the President of Nahigian Strategies
- Jon Taylor, the chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas San Antonio
THE ANSWER
TRUE
WHAT WE FOUND
Nahigian says both parties can change their ticket until their respective conventions. And because both the President and Vice Presidential candidates are on the same ticket, if the candidate for President drops out, the VP would likely end up in their spot, and a new VP would have to be chosen for the ticket.
"The Electoral College has leniency to be able to do different things. And also Congress votes to certify. So there's a lot of different phases that can impact that along the way," Nahigian said.
Professor Taylor says theoretically the claim is true, but it depends on when the candidate withdraws and state laws.
"Most state ballot laws, you have to have a candidate on the ballot at least 60 to 90 days before the election. So there's kind of that window. If they have withdrawn by, let's say, end of September. The person is going to be on the ballot," Taylor said.
Taylor cited some interesting similarities in our nation's history.
"I can tell you that what's happened instead, is you have people like Thomas Eagleton, who a U.S. senator from Missouri back in 1972, George McGovern's original running mate, who withdrew two weeks after he was nominated because of issues related to mental health, and he was replaced by on the by the Democratic National Committee by Sergeant Shriver," said Taylor. "Horace Greeley was the vice presidential nominee under President Ulysses Grant in 1872, and he died basically before he could ever be inaugurated, actually died soon after the election."
Nahigian says there are differences in the parties that could make for very interesting conventions.
"Do you remember way back when, like Bernie Sanders was doing better against, a different race, but the superdelegates swing in. If he doesn't get the first ballot, then the second ballot wide open. Those superdelegates are not connected," Nahigian said. "On the Republican side, your delegates are connected to you and you. They don't move around. So if I go to the convention as a Trump delegate or, whatever Ted Cruz delegate or whoever the Republican is, I can't just float around. I'm a I'm a dedicated delegate."
So yes, it is true. If in the upcoming presidential election, one of the candidates were to withdraw from the election but still go on to win the election, that candidate could return to the race and be elected President.