Flowchart: What could happen if Biden exits the race

It’s been three weeks since President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance, one that’s sparked public and private calls from Democrats for him to step aside.

Biden has repeatedly bucked those calls, though the count of Democratic lawmakers calling for his ouster continues to tick up.

It’s improbable that Democrats could push Biden out without his consent — convention delegates are picked because of their loyalty to their candidate, and Biden won the right to help select virtually every pledged delegate to the convention.

However, Democratic Party rules do outline what would happen if Biden steps aside before he’s formally nominated (which is scheduled to happen in a virtual roll call before the convention), or if there’s a vacancy on the national ticket after Biden officially secures the nomination.

Note that if this unprecedented situation were to happen, it’s possible the party could vote to change any of the rules around candidate replacement. And if it comes to pass after the convention, it’s possible state laws could complicate efforts to replace Biden on specific ballots.

See what could happen if Biden were to end his candidacy: