# Can the US presidential election be delayed? (I have a twist...I think...before you jump to a conclusion) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 31, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-us-presidential-election-be-delayed-i-have-a-twist-i-think-before-you-jump-to-a-conclusion/916885 "2020-07-31T01:02:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-us-presidential-election-be-delayed-i-have-a-twist-i-think-before-you-jump-to-a-conclusion/916885/2 "2020-07-31T01:25:15Z")
Somebody noted in another thread that the Constitution doesn’t require a President to be elected by a majority of possible Electoral College votes; he only requires a majority of the votes that were submitted. The precedent of this is 1864 when several southern states didn’t cast votes for obvious reasons. So let’s say, as a hypothetical, that every state with a Republican governor declares that they are postponing their elections until things are “better”. And the states with Democratic governors go ahead and hold elections. The results would be a total of 291 Electors being chosen, with 266 of them committed to voting for Biden. That’s an overwhelming majority. Let’s say the Republican governors are a little more on the ball and those of them in states where the polls show Trump winning hold elections. This goes better for Trump; there would be 427 Electors chosen with Trump getting 161 to Biden’s 266. That would still give Biden a clear majority. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-us-presidential-election-be-delayed-i-have-a-twist-i-think-before-you-jump-to-a-conclusion/916885)._