How does the US pick a President if no one gets a majority of electoral college votes?

Question

Let say for the sake of argument that the US abandonees the two party system and there's a presidential election with 20+ candidates. The one with the most Electoral College votes has like 25% of them.

Does it go the House of Representatives or something? What if it does and they or whoever decides is unable to come a majority decision because they no longer are made up of two parties?

Answer 1

It's quite a lengthy process.

If no candidate wins the majority of electoral votes needed to win an election, the president is chosen by the House of Representatives from among the top three candidates. Each state gets one vote in the House of Representatives in terms of the selection of the president. The first candidate to win the votes of any 26 states is the new president. The 12th Amendment gives the House until the fourth day of March to select a president. In this scenario, Washington, DC would lose the voting power given to it by the 23rd Amendment, since it does not have the same Congressional representation that is given to the states. If a majority is not reached for President within the House by January 20 (the day the President and Vice President are sworn in), the elected Vice President serves as President until the House is able to make a decision. If the Vice President has not been elected either, the current Speaker of the House serves as acting President until the Congress is able to make a decision. If a President has been selected but no Vice President has been selected by January 20, the President then appoints the Vice President, pending approval by Congress.

If no candidate wins the majority of votes for the vice president, the vice president is chosen by the Senate. In the Senate, each of the 100 Senators gets one vote, with a simple majority -- 51 -- Senators required to select the vice-president. Unlike it does on the House, the 12th Amendment places no time limit on the Senate's selection of a vice president.

Each political party in both houses of Congress holds a caucus, or meeting, to determine these votes. For the most part, the majority party in each state determines the outcome for that state in either house. If a state has twenty-five Republicans and five Democrats in the House of Representatives, the Republican presidential candidate would get that states vote. A tie vote in a state negates the state. For example, if a state has 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats in the House of Representatives, each party would get a half of the point and therefore cancel each other out.

Answer 2

It does go to the House of Representatives. And each state gets one vote. I believe from the language of the 12th Amendment, they just keep voting until someone gets 26 states' votes).

if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President

Answer 3

House of Representatives votes for the new president via a simple majority.

Answer 4

If no presidential candidate receives majority (today 270 of 538 votes) ...
House (2/3 quorum) chooses from (3) candidates with most electoral votes.
Then each state’s US House delegation gets one vote for president. 50 total votes!
If no decision made by March 4, then the VP is acting president.

Answer 5

US House of Representatives votes.

Answer 6

I believe it goes to the house and they vote. This happened when Jefferson ran against Burr. They did a vote many many times until finally Jefferson won the election.