US Presidential Elections In The Face Of Incapacitation

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by US Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., July 13, 2024. - AP 

1. After two failed assassination attempts with a head shot and 32 days left before the US Presidential election, it is timely that we look into the election process if a candidate runs out of luck and is incapacitated or “taken out” before the polling date. 

2. While there aren’t rules governing what happens if and when a presidential candidate is assassinated, there is general guidance about what happens if a candidate dies. The Brookings Institution explains that it depends on when a candidate dies or is unable to participate in their elections. 

3. In the event of a presidential candidate’s assassination after their party convention but before the US presidential election, both major parties have similar processes for selecting a replacement. 

4. For the Republican National Committee (RNC), the 168-member committee convenes to select a new candidate, which could include the vice-presidential nominee or a prior contender. If ballots have already been printed, voters might still vote for the deceased candidate, and electors would then cast their votes for the replacement.  

5. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) follows a similar process, with its 447 members voting on a new nominee. The vice-presidential nominee or other potential candidates may be considered. Legal challenges may arise if ballots are already printed, but electors typically follow the party’s decision. 

6. Both parties rely on their internal governance, with the Electoral College playing a crucial role in formalizing the new nominee’s selection.  

7. (The Electoral College system will be explained in my next article in The Patriot). 

Reflection: 

8. On July 13th 2024, the Presumptive Presidential Nominee for the Republican party, Donald Trump was shot at and nipped in the ear in an assassination attempt in an open rally in Pennsylvania. He survived the headshot miraculously by millimetres. Unfortunately, a few of his rally-goers were hit by bullets from an AR-15 rifle. One died. 

9. On September 15th 2024, Secret Service agents foiled a second assassination attempt before the suspect managed to discharge his weapon on Former President Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach. 

10. The last known Presidential Candidate assassinated albeit before the party convention was on June 5th 1968 when Senator Robert F Kennedy, the Candidate in the Democratic Presidential Primaries, was assassinated after addressing his supporters at The Ambassador Hotel In Los Angeles.