How can a Senate vacancy be filled before a special election?
The governor can make a temporary appointment to a vacant Senate seat if state law allows, until voters fill the seat in an election.
Short AnswerThe governor can make a temporary appointment if state law allows
Explanation
How Congress WorksThe Seventeenth Amendment lets a state legislature empower the governor to make a temporary appointment until the people fill the seat by election.
Source
- U.S. Constitution, Amendment XVII, Clause 2 ↗
…the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
Other Questions in This Topic
- How many senators are there?
- How long is a Senate term?
- How much of the Senate is up for election every two years?
- What is the minimum age to serve in the Senate?
- Since 1913, how are senators chosen?
- Who is the president of the Senate under the Constitution?
- When can the vice president vote in the Senate?
- Who presides over the Senate when the vice president is absent?
- Can a constitutional amendment take away a state's equal vote in the Senate?