Nightmare Election Scenarios

The Associated Press looks at the possibility of an Electoral College tie between President Obama and Mitt Romney which “would throw the decision to the House of Representatives, currently controlled by Republicans but up for grabs in this election.”

But the “most nightmarish outcomes of all might cause millions of Americans and foreigners to question the fairness of presidential elections. Suppose, for instance, Obama wins more popular votes than Romney, but the two men are tied in the Electoral College. The Constitution gives each state delegation to the U.S. House one vote, meaning a small state such as Idaho has vastly more proportional clout than a big state like California. If the post-2012 House looks like the current one, the Republicans in control would almost surely name Romney president.”

“It’s one thing to have the Supreme Court rule on one state’s recount practices, resulting in an Electoral College win for the person who finished second in nationwide ballots. It’s another thing to have the sharply partisan House of Representatives break an Electoral College tie in the runner up’s favor.”

Meanwhile, Salena Zito notes an election decided by the House of Representatives could pair Romney with Vice President Joe Biden.