Clarification/Follow-up by tomder55 on 10/15/04 7:17 am:
yes ;the party would have to get a new candidate.the question is in the timing .could a party field a viable replacement candidate in the days or weeks prior to the election date ? I have been looking into the issue further this morning . The constitution doesn't mandate a Nov. election.[it is mandated by Federal Law].But if it did happen how could the States manage the election ;printing of new ballots etc. if the day of the election is unchanged?

We came close to these scenarios a couple of times. Robert Kennedy was killed after almost assuredly securing the Dem. nomination. I am not sure ,but I think his delegates were freed to vote for the candidate of their choice. And of course Harrison got ill during his swearing in ceremony and died a few months later. But the succession of the VP had already been established by precident. Also look at the fiasco in N.J. over the Lautenberg selection to Senate .Imagine that on a national scale ! As it is ;with all the bottom feeders circulating around the polling places this year I expect it will take a month of court challenges to determine a winner this time around.