A worst-case election scenario
What happens if Bloomberg runs, and none of the three candidates gets enough Electoral College votes?


As if this presidential season weren't sufficiently surreal, consider what might happen if Michael Bloomberg jumps into the race. The former New York City mayor has let it be known he's considering a third-party run if Bernie Sanders captures the Democratic nomination, to give the country a centrist alternative to a socialist scourge of Wall Street and the extremism of Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. In a three-way race featuring those candidates, the vote could be badly splintered, with no candidate getting the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to become president. What happens then? Something that has occurred just once in American history — back in 1824.
If no candidate gets the necessary Electoral College votes, the Constitution calls for the House of Representatives to select the president. The House delegation from each state casts one collective vote. Since Republicans have a House majority in 33 states, they'd presumably elect the Republican nominee — even if he came in second or third in the popular vote. It's also possible, however, that one of the presidential candidates could negotiate for House members' votes by promises of Cabinet positions or other political goodies. In 1824, that's exactly what happened. Andrew Jackson won the popular vote with 40 percent, but House Speaker Henry Clay put together a coalition for John Quincy Adams, who became president despite getting just 30 percent of the popular vote. The grateful new president then appointed Clay secretary of state — a deal Jacksonians called “the corrupt bargain.” Imagine something similar occurring this year, in a country already full of mad-as-hell voters. Yeeesh. There are two obvious takeaways from this scenario: The Electoral College is a loaded gun sure to go off again. And without anybody warning us, we may have all been transported to Bizarro World.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
William Falk is editor-in-chief of The Week, and has held that role since the magazine's first issue in 2001. He has previously been a reporter, columnist, and editor at the Gannett Westchester Newspapers and at Newsday, where he was part of two reporting teams that won Pulitzer Prizes.
-
Gabbard fires intelligence chiefs after Venezuela report
speed read Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council
-
Critics' choice: Reimagined Mexican-American fare
Feature A shape-shifting dining experience, an evolving 50-year-old restaurant, and Jalisco-style recipes
-
Here We Are: Stephen Sondheim's 'utterly absorbing' final musical
The Week Recommends The musical theatre legend's last work is 'witty, wry and suddenly wise'
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical