Disputed U.S. election scenarios 

Democrats and Republicans are preparing for a potential crisis that could plunge the United States into constitutional turmoil – a tussle for power in the weeks after Election Day


1 Nov 3: Landslide victory for President Donald Trump or rival Joe Biden

2 “Red mirage:” Delays in counting mail-in ballots in battleground states give Trump a false election night lead

3 Close margins: Challenges to eligibility of mail-in votes – signature matching, and other voter information – prompt litigation

4 Dec 14: Deadline for states’ Electoral College* votes to be cast. If disputes remain unresolved, Congress could decide winner

*Each state has as many “electors” in Electoral College as it has Representatives
and Senators in Congress, total 538 electors. District of Columbia has three electors

5 Electoral College: Neither candidate wins 270 majority of electoral votes needed. Decision is passed to Congress. House of Representatives chooses president, Senate selects vice president. This has happened twice before, in 1800 and 1824

6 Jan 6, 2021: If election goes to new 117th Congress, each of 50 state delegations in House receives single vote. Candidate needs 26 votes to win presidency

7 Deadlock: House’s state delegations deadlock at 25 to 25. Senate’s choice for vice president becomes acting president

8 Jan 20, 2021, Inauguration Day: Senate deadlocks, too, and no president is selected. House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, (left) resigns her seat in Congress, becomes acting president until dispute is settled


Ballots in five swing states – with 75 electoral votes – can arrive days later, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day

Iowa 6
Michigan 16
Ohio 18
Pennsylvania 20
North Carolina 15


Sources: Congressional Research Service, The Hill 
Pictures: Associated Press 
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