# Presidential Succession Fantasy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession-fantasy/41047>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 13, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession-fantasy/41047 "2000-11-13T19:42:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JosephFinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JosephFinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JosephFinn)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession-fantasy/41047/1 "2000-11-13T19:42:38Z")

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So, say that somehow (though even they way things are going the counts will be done by then) there was not a winner declared by Jan 21st. I know the usual deal on succession, but here’s a slightly paranoid question: if the term of a president ends with no declared new president, are the cabinet members still active cabinet members? My assumption has always been that they are cabinet members until a new one is confirmed and sworn in, but someone can feel free to correct me on that. So, are they still eligible for presidential succession (besides Madeline Albright, of course)?

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-succession-fantasy/41047/2 "2000-11-13T19:54:57Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by JosephFinn \*  
> \*\*So, say that somehow (though even they way things are going the counts will be done by then) there was not a winner declared by Jan 21st. I know the usual deal on succession, but here’s a slightly paranoid question: if the term of a president ends with no declared new president, are the cabinet members still active cabinet members? My assumption has always been that they are cabinet members until a new one is confirmed and sworn in, but someone can feel free to correct me on that. So, are they still eligible for presidential succession (besides Madeline Albright, of course)? \*\*

A cabinet member remains as such until a successor is chosen. Usually, the Cabinet resigns as the president’s term ends. However, they can “insist” on remaining in office until a successor is chosen. So, if no replacement for them has been chosen by Jan 20, then they are still in office.

Zev Steinhardt