# Legal ramifications of concession **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2000, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-ramifications-of-concession/45497 "2000-12-14T05:43:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-ramifications-of-concession/45497/1 "2000-12-14T05:43:44Z")
What, exactly, does Gore’s concession call and subsequent speech tonight signify? I know it means he lost, but, is there any legal reasoning behind a concession? I fully understand the p.r. reasons. I ask this because waybackwhen on or right after Election night, I read something that stated he had no legal right to challenge any results after a concession. So, what’s the straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![jamesglewisf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@jamesglewisf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jamesglewisf)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-ramifications-of-concession/45497/2 "2000-12-14T05:54:51Z")
I’ve been wondering about this too. Is there a law about conceding an election? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-ramifications-of-concession/45497/3 "2000-12-14T15:57:25Z")
From what I’ve heard, concession speeches are just a formality with no legal significance. In another thread on this subject, an example was given where a politician (a senator or something) was losing with most of the votes counted, so he conceeded. After the concession speech, the votes from outlying areas came in much stronger than expected, and he ended up with the most votes. The other guy said “wait a minute, you already conceeded defeat!” A court, however, held that the guy’s concession speech was not a legally binding statement, so he won the election. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-ramifications-of-concession/45497/4 "2000-12-14T17:55:02Z")
A concession means nothing legally. It’s just etiquette. The Constitution provides how we elect a president. One can choose not to serve as a president, which means resigning. Then the successor as enumerated in the Const. will become the president (starting with the vp and on down).