Does the US have a provision for 'Special Elections'?

[Sannum]

I have been wondering. If by some miracle, the biggies in the Boots administration are indicted and unable to finish their terms from the confines of a federal prison, is it possible to hold a special election between the two parties? If the Bushes were allowed to continue while action was being taken for various actions, wouldn't it be like letting the kid who stole the stereo keep the stereo? Is there anything in the constitution that allows a, for example, McCain vs. Clark special election in 2007? This happens in other countries, so I was wondering.

[Greybnk48]

1. I just asked a similar question in another thread

Can we demand a re-call election like CA did (nationally)?

[Sannum]

2. I am wondering....

Also, since the alleged acts would be such that the succession of the presidency would be 'tainted' by the scandal, and perhaps indicted with the rest of them. Example: The Line of Succession:
Vice President
Speaker of the House of Representatives
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Wouldn't it be an advantage to both parties for there to be a recall election? It would certanly be the largest constitutional crisis this country ever faced.

[Greybnk48]

4. After the circus of 2000

Nothing would rattle me anymore--and I doubt I'm alone on that. But if fraud is uncovered, the chain of succession would be called into question, unlike the Nixon admin. where no one that I know of thought Ford was involved in any way.

[anaxarchos]

3. Nothing whatever...

There is no provision for a vote for the presidency let alone a re-vote or special election. What there is is a detailed line of succession. If the President is thrown out, the Vice president takes over; if both are in prison, then it is the Speaker of the House, etc.

[lutherj]

5. There is no provision for special elections. The presidential

succession act provides a descending list of those who would move into the presidency. Here is a list:

The Vice President Richard Cheney
Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
President pro tempore of the Senate1 Ted Stevens
Secretary of State Colin Powell
Secretary of the Treasury John Snow
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
Attorney General John Ashcroft
Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton
Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman
Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans
Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson
Secretary of Transportation Norman Yoshio Mineta
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham
Secretary of Education Roderick Paige
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0101032.html

The only way I could see impeachment happening is if some series of events caused *'s approval ratings to plummet, say below 30%, and the general public started calling for his resignation. The republicans would have to impeach in order to maintain any credibility. But it would be out of the frying pan and into the fire, as the above list shows. Still, Nixon's resignation did a lot of damage to the republicans.

[The Judged]

6. Wow! Wolfowitz will never make it with that long list!

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. If that looked likely, the repukes would first serve up Cheney

as a sacrafice. New VP, out of the loop of the current administration, would be selected. Then Bush resigns. New VP becomes pres., selects another new VP. The buck-passing stops there.

Just like Nixon/Agnew.

It wouldn't go far enough down the line to bring all the list into play.

[Democrat Dragon]

8. Amongst all the election reform bills coming....

Something related to a special election may come...but it almost no chance of making it to the floor.