An New Twist on the 2000 election

This is the result of some research on the structure of American Presidential Elections. Now, this rule is not very well known, but electors in the electoral College are forbidden from casting both their votes for president and vice-president for candidates from the same state. Normally, this would not matter to much. However, there is one year in recent times when this almost came into effect: 2000. Both Bush and Cheney were legally residents of Texas (so this applies in 2004, but that is irrelevant). In OTL, Cheney switched his voting registration to Wyoming, and that was the end of that.

Let's say that people forget about this rule. I'd expect somebody to realize it, but it is concievable that the Republicans miss it until it is to late. So it is Election night in the US. Suddenly, everybody realizes that a vote for Bush means that they cannot vote for Cheney, and vice versa. How do things play out. President Bush and Vice-President Lieberman? President Gore and Vice-President Lieberman? What happens next?
 
The rule is very well known among people in politics, and the many many lawyers and political operatives working for the Bush campaign in 2000 would have caught it.

I'm afraid this is basically ASB.
 
The rule is very well known among people in politics, and the many many lawyers and political operatives working for the Bush campaign in 2000 would have caught it.

I'm afraid this is basically ASB.

Okay. But there is a small chance. let's just say what if.
 
Okay. But there is a small chance. let's just say what if.

In OTL, there actually WAS a lawsuit filed about this, saying that Cheney lived in TX and could not legally register in Wyoming. The person lost. No appeals were filed.

But I agree, that this is ASB. But in your strangley akward situation, it appears that the Senate would vote for Lieberman as the VP and Bush as Pres, or the other way around with Cheney as VP and Al Gore as Pres.

Most likely the first.
 
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