# What happens if a candidate concedes and then wins? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693 "2014-11-05T01:57:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/1 "2014-11-05T01:57:28Z")
Here in Maine, candidate for senate Shenna Bellows just conceded the election with only 1% of precincts reporting. I do seriously believe that Susan Collins will win this race, but what if she doesn’t? Bellows is giving her concession speech as I type this, so what happens if she wins? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/2 "2014-11-05T02:02:22Z")
Then she wins. A concession speech is not an official withdrawal from the race or anything like that. This has happened before. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/3 "2014-11-05T02:03:20Z")
Al Gore withdrew his original concession in the 2000 election, once it became clear the Florida vote was actually too close to call. There’s no reason your candidate can’t do the same. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/4 "2014-11-05T02:13:01Z")
Since dead people have been elected to office, a mere concession speech can hardly determine who is officially elected or not. Whoever gets the most votes will be declared the winner of the election. If Bellows gets the most votes, she’ll still win even if she has conceded. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/5 "2014-11-05T02:16:59Z")
Yeah, I doubt that a concession has a specific _legal_ effect. It’s basically a social thing that lets people know that the losing candidate no longer considers themselves to be a real candidate and that they don’t intend to contest the results. It lets news outlets report “The Winner” ™, even though officially the winner may not be determined for days if not weeks as ballots are checked, rechecked, stamped, restamped, and sent for official archiving and the winning candidate is officially inscribed in the State Book of Official Election Winners and the entry is signed by at least three judges. ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/6 "2014-11-05T02:22:01Z")
Yeah, if a concession speech was an official withdrawal, no one would give them until all there was no imaginable possibility of winning. In fact, I suspect the real point of a concession speech is to let your staff know it’s time to go home. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/7 "2014-11-05T02:42:50Z")
> [@MrKnowItAll](#): > > In fact, I suspect the real point of a concession speech is to let your staff know it’s time to go home. I’m speculating, but I imagine it also gives you a bit more control over your image and talking points. Once the other guy has officially won I bet there is less interest in what the loser has to say. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/8 "2014-11-05T02:51:25Z")
You probably get fed up quick with [this.](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJL2tvLBlm4/ThZlfa6a-KI/AAAAAAAAACI/OCZvN_jxhUM/s1600/haha-simpsons-580x438.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/9 "2014-11-05T03:43:19Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Al Gore withdrew his original concession in the 2000 election, once it became clear the Florida vote was actually too close to call. There’s no reason your candidate can’t do the same. Did he actually concede and pull it back? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/10 "2014-11-05T03:53:11Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Did he actually concede and pull it back? Yes. [Here’s the timeline](http://www.authentichistory.com/1993-2000/3-2000election/2-electionnight/); check out the period between 2–4 AM. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-candidate-concedes-and-then-wins/703693/11 "2014-11-05T03:58:41Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Did he actually concede and pull it back? The whole mess would have been avoided if Bush had remembered to call “no backsies.”