Vice-presidential candidates Govenor Sarah Palin (AK) and Senator Joe Biden (DE) will face off in their first and only debate Thursday from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.
What would happen if one of the presidential candidates were to die or become otherwise incapacitated before Election Day: Would Palin or Biden assume the nomination? Not necessarily.
According to Slate.com, each party has its own protocol for this scenario, but in neither case does the running mate automatically take over the ticket.
If John McCain were to die before the election, the rules of the Republican Party authorize the Republican National Committee to fill the vacancy, either by reconvening a national convention or by having RNC state representatives vote. The new nominee must receive a majority vote to officially become the party candidate.
If Barack Obama were to die before the election, the Democratic Party's charter and bylaws state that responsibility for filling that vacancy would fall to the Democratic National Committee, but the rules do not specify how exactly the DNC would go about doing that. (Congress could also pass a special statute and push back Election Day, giving the candidate's party time to regroup.)