united-states us-constitution president
Who becomes President if no candidate for President or for Vice-President has been selected at noon, January 20th?
<p>The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution , Article 3, deals with the situation where <em><strong>no</strong></em> President or Vice President has qualified on January 20.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Section 3</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>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 <strong>by law provide for the case</strong> <strong>wherein neither a
President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified</strong>,
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.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(Emphasis added)</p>
<p>So, has Congress made such a provision, and, if so, what is that provision?</p>

<p>If no President or Vice-President is picked by Inauguration Day, January 20th, then the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19" rel="noreferrer">Presidential Succession Act</a> kicks in. The Act lists the line of succession Acting President. It starts with the Speaker of the House, the President <em>pro tempore</em> and then goes through the cabinet officers. (You can see the full order of succession <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Succession_Act#Table_of_statutory_successors" rel="noreferrer">here</a>.)</p>
<p>You can read more here <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Succession_Act" rel="noreferrer">here</a> and <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31761.pdf" rel="noreferrer">here</a>.</p>

<h2>Yes</h2>
<p>It’s the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Succession_Act" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Presidential Succession Act</a> of 1947.</p>
