Who would be President of the USA?

What happens?

  • Henry Wallace becomes President.

    Votes: 21 65.6%
  • Harry Truman becomes President.

    Votes: 8 25.0%
  • Thomas Dewey becomes President.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Someone else becomes President (who?).

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Snap elections are called.

    Votes: 1 3.1%
  • A political and constitutional crisis shakes the USA.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other / don't know / whatever.

    Votes: 2 6.3%

  • Total voters
    32

Zagan

Donor
Note: The situation arose in an ASB TL, but since nothing is ASB about this premise, I decided to post the question here.


Premise: On 17 January 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt died of a ruptured aneurysm. As this happened after he won the 1944 Presidential Election but after his (and Harry Truman's) inauguration, who will become President?

1. Acting Vice President Henry Agard Wallace;
2. Elected Vice President Harry Truman;
3. Presidential Election runner-up Thomas Edmund Dewey;
4. Someone else;
5. Snap elections;
6. Likely constitutional and political crisis.

You may just vote in the POLL but an explanation will be way better.

Thank you.
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
Vice President-elect according to Section 3 of the 20th Amendment.

EDIT: Actually no I've misread Section 3, it'd be Wallace who becomes President, and he would simply hand over to Truman on the 20th.
 

Zagan

Donor
Thank you.

I am not an American and I did not know where to look for an answer (besides reading all your constitution!).
Now, when I read 20th Amendment, Section 3, it seems to be clear:
Amendment XX

Section 3.
If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.
 

Zagan

Donor
Any other ideas?
It just seems a little weird to have a Wallace presidency last only two or threee days...
 

Zagan

Donor
Thank you again. The issue is definitely settled. I have already used the correct solution in the TL.

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