Succession to the office of President of the United States is provided for by the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Title 3, Section 19 of the U.S. Code (3 U.S.C. §19). The Twenty-Fifth Amendment states in Section 1 that when the office of President of the United States becomes vacant due to “removal … Read more
Several states have implemented new election administration processes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that could affect how and when ballots are counted. Even under normal circumstances, finalizing federal election results takes days or weeks after election day. Among other steps, state, territorial, and local election officials canvass votes to ensure that ballots are valid … Read more
The 12th Amendment to the Constitution requires that presidential and vice presidential candidates gain “a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed” in order to win election. With a total of 538 electors representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 270 electoral votes is the “magic number,” the arithmetic majority necessary to … Read more
Presidential Transitions Are you ready for a presidential transition? Whether you work for a federal agency, embassy, or NGO, efforts at planning a 2020 transition, regardless who wins the presidential election, are starting to take shape well before November. Presidential transitions have a unique set of rules and practices, and can create important opportunities. … Read more
Presidential Transitions Are you ready for a presidential transition? Whether you work for a federal agency, embassy, or NGO, efforts at planning a 2020 transition, regardless who wins the presidential election, are starting to take shape well before November. Presidential transitions have a unique set of rules and practices, and can create important opportunities. … Read more
The census, apportionment, and congressional redistricting are interrelated processes that occur every decade. The U.S. Constitution provides that a decennial census determines the distribution of U.S. House seats across states, though the federal government today also uses census data for other purposes, such as distributing funding to states and localities. The process of dividing House … Read more