December 1968 Home   Newsletters

January 1969

February 1969

Calendar
Notices
And How Is the Electoral College Study?
Roster
Information Sheet: U.S.-China Relations
Human Resources (Evelyn Oishi)
From the President's Desk - Prospects for Program Action 1969 (Elaine Vik)

And How Is the Electoral College Study?

The Honolulu Public Library now has "The People's President" by Neal F. Pierce (The Electoral College in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative). The author is political editor of Congressional Quarterly News Service. The book is highly recommended by New York Times, LWV, etc.

Remember the questions asked last month? Nancy Williams got the answers from the above book.

  1. If a Presidential or Vice-Presidential candidate had died before Nov. 5, no law applies. The Democratic and Republican parties do have rules that their National Committees can vote for a replacement. The Republican National Committee could also call a new convention.
  2. If a Presidential or Vice-Presidential candidate had died between Nov. 5 and Dec. 16, electors would theoretically been free to vote for anyone. But it is expected they would follow the party national committee which would have voted to fill the vacancy (A candidate would most likely be elevated if the Presidential place were open.)
  3. If the President or V.P. elect were to die between Dec. 16 and Jan. 6, Congress would have to count the votes for the deceased, since he was alive when the ballots were cast. Then the VP-elect would become President (20th amendment). Then he could nominate a new VP (25th amendment). If the VP-elect died in this the, the new President would nominate a replacement.
  4. If either died between Jan. 6 and Inauguration Day, the 20th amendment would place the VP-elect in the Presidency; the new President would nominate a VP.

The above is about the least interesting material in the book. But it is little known and there are ways in which the popular will can be frustrated, so the League wants us to be aware of it.

"The People's President" is a fascinating book. For instance, who really won in 1960... what about fraud in Cook Co., Ill? How should Alabama's votes have been counted with unpledged electors? Did yuou know Hawaii sent in three sets of electors' certificates? First, the Republicans had won the state by 114 votes, then after a recount the Democrats won by 115 votes.

December 1968 Top   Home   Newsletters February 1969