Call the US election

[Mark]

Well, it's voting day boys and girls. I'll be going to vote in a little while. I must cast my ballot for the "OBAMA-NATION".

[Captain Seafort]

Out of curiousity, what happens if the electoral college finishes dead even? Flip a coin?

[Mark]

I don't think that can happen. Isn't it an odd number on purpose?

[Captain Seafort]

Nope - 538 total, according to the Beeb.

[Mark]

But with the individual number of votes each state gets, I know it quacky. I don't know if it could happen. If it could and did, I'd imagine it would be up to congress, or some such.

[Lt. Staplic]

you have to look at the states not the total number of votes Seafort, so with that in mind i don't think it's possable now.

However the Constitution says that should there be a tie between candidates or if no candidate gets the majoirty needed the vote goes to the House of Representitives, each rep will get one vote until someone gets majority.

[Captain Seafort]

you have to look at the states not the total number of votes Seafort, so with that in mind i don't think it's possable now.

A bit of research shows it's definately possible:

However the Constitution says that should there be a tie between candidates or if no candidate gets the majoirty needed the vote goes to the House of Representitives, each rep will get one vote until someone gets majority.

Right ho. And if the House is an even split I presume it goes to the Senate? What happens after that?

[Lt. Staplic]

There are an odd number of Reps right now. I think?

After the Senet, I believe it goes to the Court, they make a unanamous decision. (one way or another)

[Captain Seafort]

There are an odd number of Reps right now. I think?

435 voting members according to Wiki, although I don't know enough about US politics to know if they'd all turn up.

After the Senet, I believe it goes to the Court, they make a unanamous decision. (one way or another)

Great. When was the last time that happened?

On the whole I think I prefer our method of tiebreaking - ask the Queen, and then hold another election a few months later.

[Lt. Staplic]

for a presidential electon, they'd all show up.

The Court actually makes unanamous decisions all the time, they debate the issues, then as a whole find the best way of resolving it or in this case who would be the best candidate.

Unless you were talking about when was the last time it went to the Court in which case the answer is never, in fact it's never gotten past the House.

[Lt. Staplic]

it's 7:33 CST here and Obama's ahead 102 EC votes to 49. 270 are needed.

as a side note as of now, the Republicans have lost three seats in Congress

[Captain Picard's Hair]

As of 1:13 AM EST Wed, with 80% of precincts reporting nationwide, the very close early popular vote has widened to 52% - 47% (+5%), or a difference of about 4 and a half million votes

[Deepcrush]

The final run is the pop vote. Though the chances of all those steps coming out even are highly unlikely.

[Lt. Staplic]

Obama won, 280 something to 130 something.

[Grundig]

He won the pop vote by 6%! A healthy margin, indeed, and 1 point away from my guess, I might add.