# what happens if a presidential candidate dies?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-dies/263138>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-dies/263138 "2004-09-04T19:59:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-dies/263138/21 "2004-09-06T19:12:14Z")

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> [@aahala](#):
>
> About half the states bind electors voting in some way. Whether electors in those states would be automatically free to vote for someone else, rather than a dead man, would depend upon the individual statutes and possible court rulings.

Constitutional scholars are nearly unanimous in opinion that any state law binding the electors to the popular vote is unconstitutional. Such laws contradict the whole purpose of the Electoral College, which was to allow an override to the popular vote.

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