# Weat if Trump were to be incapacitated before the election? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 30, 2016, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108 "2016-10-30T12:48:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/1 "2016-10-30T12:48:57Z")
Say he has a massive stroke in the next few days? Would America be actually choosing between Clinton and Pence? As I understand it, under the 25th Amendment Pence would take over if Trump were President. So how would that change the odds? ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/2 "2016-10-30T13:08:33Z")
The 25th Amendment doesn’t apply until AFTER an election. This has been discussed in multiple threads already. It would be up to the RNC to choose who would replace him. This close to Election Day I would imagine they would just go with Pence. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/3 "2016-10-30T13:22:36Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > The 25th Amendment doesn’t apply until AFTER an election. This has been discussed in multiple threads already. > > It would be up to the RNC to choose who would replace him. This close to Election Day I would imagine they would just go with Pence. Given the amount of early voting so far, what happens to all the ballots already cast for Trump? I honestly have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/4 "2016-10-30T15:11:32Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Say he has a massive stroke in the next few days? One can only hope. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/5 "2016-10-30T15:13:26Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Given the amount of early voting so far, what happens to all the ballots already cast for Trump? I honestly have no idea. My guess would be they would be assigned to the GOP VP candidate or replacement candidate. [Checkout Cecil’s column about this.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/122/what-if-the-u-s-president-and-vice-president-elect-die-before-being-sworn-in) The basic idea is that if the winner of the election passes away after the vote but before taking office, the VP on that ticket would succeed to the office. I’m sure the issue of the ballots you mention would end up in court but I’m fairly certain the result would be the same and they would be given to the VP candidate or the party’s replacement. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/6 "2016-10-30T23:30:49Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Given the amount of early voting so far, what happens to all the ballots already cast for Trump? I honestly have no idea. The ballots already cast are for electors in the electoral college. They won’t cast their votes for Trump (or his replacement?) until Dec. 19. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/7 "2016-10-30T23:33:15Z")
No ballots are cast for Clinton or Trump. You are casting your ballot for the electors that are committed to Trump or to Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/8 "2016-10-30T23:33:19Z")
Did anyone else read the thread title as “decapitated”? (Although I suppose that would definitely fall into the “incapacitated” category.) ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/9 "2016-10-30T23:36:40Z")
> [@](#): > > The ballots already cast are for electors in the electoral college. They won’t cast their votes for Trump (or his replacement?) until Dec. 19. Now I’m thinking of a hypothetical where president loses second-term run and foreign power declares war on US between election day and inauguration. Or government declares war on foreign power between those dates (if Senate, House, and Presidency all changed parties). No matter what, the conspiracy crowd is going to have a ball. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/10 "2016-10-30T23:36:55Z")
Need answer fast? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/11 "2016-10-31T00:11:59Z")
> [@Tzigone](#): > > Now I’m thinking of a hypothetical where president loses second-term run and foreign power declares war on US between election day and inauguration. Or government declares war on foreign power between those dates (if Senate, House, and Presidency all changed parties). > > No matter what, the conspiracy crowd is going to have a ball. The President is in office until noon Jan 20. It would be dealt with the same as any other time. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weat-if-trump-were-to-be-incapacitated-before-the-election/770108/12 "2016-10-31T00:54:37Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Did anyone else read the thread title as “decapitated”? I didn’t. That’s not to say I’m not relishing the idea.