What Happens If a Presidential Candidate Becomes Incapacitated or Dies

At many points during 2020, people have turned their eyes skyward and asked, “What next?” Fate having been tempted, the news comes this morning that President Donald Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus just a month before Election Day, and while voting in many states is already under way. Although there is no indication yet that he has a severe case of COVID-19, the question of how the electoral process handles a candidate’s serious illness or death is now newly relevant.

There is no real possibility of delaying the election. That would require legislation—the House, the Senate, and the president agreeing quickly on new dates—which is politically unlikely, and would be legally awkward when voting has already started. Instead of postponing or redoing the election,