House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told NPR that she’s ready for the House of Representatives to decide the winner of the presidential election.

“We understand what the law is and the preeminence of the role of Congress and specifically the House of Representatives when it comes to counting the votes,” Pelosi told NPR’s Ari Shapiro :

SHAPIRO: But what if the outcome is disputed? What if this is being fought in the courts or there is a constitutional crisis? I mean, there are all kinds of scenarios, and in some of them, the speaker of the House plays a prominent role.

PELOSI: And the speaker of the House is ready for that prominent role. But let’s not worry about that right now. What we want to be ready for is a big vote tomorrow to dispel any thought other than that, on January 20, Joe Biden will be inaugurated president of the United States, that we will have a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate.

If neither candidate has 270 electoral votes, then the incoming House of Representatives members get to choose the next President. This has only happened twice in our nation’s history, in 1801 and 1825, and the House has no obligation to pay attention to the votes of the people. For example, in the 1824 election, Andrew Jackson won the popular vote AND had the most votes in the electoral college. However, he didn’t have a majority of the electoral votes and the House chose John Quincy Adams instead.

In this case, the Democrats have a 232 to 197 lead in the House and aren’t projected to lose it. However, there is a twist. The new President would not be decided by a vote of the entire House, but by a vote of the House delegation from each state. In other words, California gets the same number of votes as South Dakota in this situation.

It appears that the Democrats will continue to control the House.

“Nancy Pelosi, would probably end up electing Donald Trump if they had to decide the election. In any case, since this hasn’t happened in 195 years, it probably won’t happen this time either,” John Hawkins is the author of 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know explained the 25th Amendment.

Presidential Disability and Succession

Passed by Congress July 6, 1965. Ratified February 10, 1967. The 25th Amendment changed a portion of Article II, Section 1

Section 1

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Section 2

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Section 3

Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.