The Atlantic

What Happens If the 2020 Election Is a Tie?

The House of Representatives resolves inconclusive presidential elections—and while Democrats may hold most of the seats, Republicans control more state delegations.
Source: Jim Bourg / Reuters

What happens if the 2020 presidential election is very close? Polls suggest that’s a real possibility. And it’s a question that should shape the strategy of the Democratic Party, not just at the top of the ticket, but in the down-ballot races that could ultimately determine who sits in the White House.

If Donald Trump wins battleground states such as Wisconsin, Arizona, and Florida, he can lose Pennsylvania and Michigan, and lose the popular vote by 5 million or more, but still win the Electoral College by a single vote, as David Wasserman of “The Cook Political Report” has noted. If a congressional district in Nebraska or Maine were to vote

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