# Does the actual vote trump a concession speech?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-actual-vote-trump-a-concession-speech/272934>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 4, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-actual-vote-trump-a-concession-speech/272934 "2004-11-04T05:47:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-actual-vote-trump-a-concession-speech/272934/1 "2004-11-04T05:47:48Z")

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If an opponent gives a full complete concession speech and calls his opponent to congratulate him, do the states or local government continue to count provisional and/or absentee ballots?

In short, does a concession have any legality attached to it? or just the embarrassment of giving up too early?

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**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-actual-vote-trump-a-concession-speech/272934/2 "2004-11-04T05:56:59Z")

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[No.](http://slate.com/id/2109127/) Don’t expect anything to change, though.

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-actual-vote-trump-a-concession-speech/272934/3 "2004-11-04T07:17:12Z")

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Gore gave a concession speech in 2000 and then took it back, as I recall.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-actual-vote-trump-a-concession-speech/272934/4 "2004-11-04T07:49:11Z")

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**Moderator’s Note:** Although a question about Presidential elections, this is nonetheless a question about Presidential elections with a yes or no answer, so off to GQ it goes.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-actual-vote-trump-a-concession-speech/272934/5 "2004-11-04T07:51:10Z")

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> [@Raygun99](#):
>
> [No.](http://slate.com/id/2109127/) Don’t expect anything to change, though.

You mean “[Yes.](http://slate.com/id/2109127/) Don’t expect anything to change, though.” That is, the actual vote does trump a concession speech (as **Raygun99** ’s link explains).

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-actual-vote-trump-a-concession-speech/272934/6 "2004-11-04T12:45:56Z")

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This topic was discussed yesterday, so I’ll close this thread and direct further comment to the earlier one: [Presidential Candidate Concession (Factual Question)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=284587)

bibliophage  
moderator GQ