Defined as the time period between the declaration of the winner of a national election, and the time he/she is sworn into office. In this nation, Election Day is generally the first Tuesday in November of an election year. Inauguration of the incoming President and Vice President is usually on January 20 of the following year.
This is, of late, a fraught passage of time, well suited for the mischief which seems to occur these days. Two and a half months. Following the declaration of Joe Biden as President, we had numerous plots and lawsuits, culminating in an insurrection in our halls of Congress, which, by all objective standards, seems to have been instigated by the election’s loser, the 45th President. He has, of course, been indicted for this crime, but it has been kicked down the road (our system of justice, gotta love it).
If this seems like a long time, it’s better than it was. Until the 1930’s, inauguration took place on March 4 of the year following the election. Although we had survived as a republic for more than two centuries, there were a few quirks along the way. President-elect Franklin Roosevelt survived a near asassination in Florida in 1933, when a bullet meant for him instead fatally wounded Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. Abraham Lincoln narrowly missed a similar fate while travelling to Washington for his swearing-in in 1861.
Let’s consider a few scenarios as to what might go wrong during this period.
Scenario 1. Kamala Harris is elected President-elect. President Biden dies. Harris succeeds to the Presidency, serves out remainder of Biden’s term, then is sworn in January 20 to her own term. Simplest outcome, but not immune from Trump shenanigans, particularly if election is close. Remember: the presidency is his get-out-of-jail free card.
Scenario 2. Donald Trump is elected, but dies before the end of 2024. Election is thrown to House of Representatives. Since Republicans control House, JD Vance is elected (or, is he)?
Scenario 3. Trump is elected, but dies in January before the 20th. Democrats control House as a result of election. New Congress sworn in on first business day of 2025. Who becomes President?
I am not an expert on these matters (heck, I’m not even an attorney). Just an (aged) citizen. Attempts have been made (cf. The 25th Amendment) , which, to my knowledge, has never really been employed.
These are, by no means, all that could happen. This is too important to be left to Murphy’s Law (its simplest iteration: If it can happen, it will happen). By all accounts, the election will be very close, adding to the peril, and the possibility of mischief.
Rogernarc 