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How does the Senate choose a vice president when no candidate receives an Electoral College majority?
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Electoral College
A certificate from Alabama showing the signatures of the state's electors in 2000. The nine electors voted for George W. Bush and his running mate Dick Cheney.
Under the Twelfth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, if no candidate for vice president receives a majority of the Electoral College votes, the responsibility of choosing the vice president falls to the Senate.12
The process follows these specific requirements:
- Candidate Pool: The Senate must choose from the two candidates who received the highest number of electoral votes for the office of vice president.12
- Quorum: A quorum for this purpose requires the presence of two-thirds of the total number of Senators.12
- Majority Vote: To successfully elect a vice president, a candidate must receive a vote from a majority of the whole number of Senators.12
Additionally, the Constitution mandates that any person chosen for the vice presidency must be constitutionally eligible to hold the office of president.12