Thread by @Monaheart1229

Re Trump cancelling the election, from L.A. Times' Eric Halper: "The president does not have that power. Legal scholars are widely in agreement on this point, as are both Republican and Democratic election officials.

2-"The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service reached the same conclusion when it investigated the question in the aftermath of 9/11.
Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence cannot stay in office past their four-year terms without being reelected.

3-"If the election does not happen for any reason, constitutional rules of succession kick in." Intelligencer: "Halper says, technically Cong could delay the election for a bit in the case of an emergency, but when the president and vice-president’s terms run out on January 20

4-"they are out of office, period. And in that case, it seems, the next-in-the-line-of-succession official who is still in office would be empowered to occupy the Oval Office. BUT if there’s no election in Nov, Trump and Pence aren’t the only elected officials out of a job

5-"While the Speaker of the House is third in the line of presidential succession, Pelosi is also up for reelection this year and so would face the same scenario as Trump/Pence if the election were to be canceled.

6-"The next in the line of succession who does not face reelection in Nov is Chuck Grassley, the Senate’s president pro tempore. But then again, 23 GOP senators are up for reelection this year and would be on the sidelines as well,

7-"so we could have a Democratic Senate and perhaps a president pro tempore Pat Leahy (that position traditionally goes to the oldest senator of the majority party)."
Whew! It'd be a mess. @mrglenferris #ThursdayThoughts

8-AND if Trump cancels Nov, States have the power to hold the elections "In the case of a presidential election, state legislatures could in theory appoint electors according to the outcome of whatever election the state managed to hold" but it'd have to be acr the boards!