If No One Votes

[beaver2.0]

What would be the result of an improbable, but possible, Presidential election where no one votes, not because of any human factors, just the fact they don't turn out.  When the electoral college met, how would they decide the President?

[President Johnson]

Maybe State Legislature votes?

[SteveRogers]

The state legislatures would just choose the electors.

[Illiniwek]

The state legislatures would just choose the electors.

Yeah but what if the states don't choose any electors, huh? What if all of the House of Representatives and Senate all resigned and there was no one to vote in either house and also no Speaker of the House and no president pro tempore? What if no one votes in any special election for the Congressional delegation and no governor will appoint any Senators? Then you've got no one in the executive brange, and no one in the legislative branch. All you need is all of the SC Justices to quit and we have done away with the federal government.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

My preferred question is what if everyone wrote in themselves?

[hurricanehink]

This is how I imagine it would happen. A week before Election Day, a massive tsunami and earthquake forces residents and the government to temporarily abandon the state of Hawaii, after the infrastructure is decimated and residents temporarily evacuate to the mainland. As no residents can technically vote in Hawaii, the state's legislature votes in abstentia for the state's electoral votes. Just a guess.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

This is how I imagine it would happen. A week before Election Day, a massive tsunami and earthquake forces residents and the government to temporarily abandon the state of Hawaii, after the infrastructure is decimated and residents temporarily evacuate to the mainland. As no residents can technically vote in Hawaii, the state's legislature votes in abstentia for the state's electoral votes. Just a guess.

I think you're right. AFAIK there's no federal law requiring electors to be chosen by the popular vote. It were states that gradually abandoned selecting them via legislature votes. South Carolina was among the last states to abandon the practice, if I remember correctly.

[cwt]

My preferred question is what if everyone wrote in themselves?

James Smith wins.

[LLR]

In the event of a federal evacuation, as someone stated, I'd imagine there'd be a way to cast absentee ballots from "abroad".

If nobody showed up, they'd either use state legislature votes (although why those people wouldn't show up on election day is beyond me) or vote for the national winner.

[dax00]

The electors technically aren't bound to the popular vote, so they would choose as they wish. Would be a very colorful map.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

The electors technically aren't bound to the popular vote, so they would choose as they wish. Would be a very colorful map.

But which electors would be chosen?

[TJ in Oregon]

Sounds entirely plausible for 2016

[VPH]

They would probably just count the early votes sent in by mail if there was some natural disaster