# How Trump can lose and stay on. Opinions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 17, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-trump-can-lose-and-stay-on-opinions/834091 "2019-05-17T01:22:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 122
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-trump-can-lose-and-stay-on-opinions/834091/122 "2020-08-07T21:45:44Z")
Yes, fine, but that’s not quite what I was asking. Supposing fewer than 538 electors vote, for any reasons whatsoever, and a candidate gets a majority, but less than 270. You seem to think that it wouldn’t count in that case. But [this post](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) asserts that if fewer than 538 votes are cast, whoever gets the majority is president, regardless of whether the actual number is 270 or not, and nobody in the following discussion contradicts it (nor does anyone in the “other thread” the post talks about, IIRC). So which is it? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-trump-can-lose-and-stay-on-opinions/834091)._