What will and should happen with an electoral college tie?

[angus]

I don't really find any of your options that fit, so I didn't vote, but here's what I think should happen.  Each delegation gets one vote, and each delegation should vote for the candidate winning a plurality in their home state.  This should be the case regardless of whether the majority of the state delegation is Republican or Democrat.  If they do it this way, here's my prediction:

Obama 25
Romney 25

I'm basing this on the fact that in 25 states Romney is polling ahead, and in 25 states Obama is polling ahead.  Does DC's delegation get a vote?  If so, then Obama wins.  I don't think it does, though.

By the way, the actual Electors meet on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December (December 17, 2012) to cast their votes.  Only about half the states have laws requiring their Electors to vote for the popular vote winner, so just because the networks call it 269-269 on election night doesn't really mean that it will be a tie.  Lots of deals can be struck in the six weeks between popular election day and the day the Electors meet to choose a president.

[angus]

There's no way the House will select Obama. Come on...

Most speculative pieces I've read on this subject don't predict that what I said should happen will actually happen.  The assumption has been that each delegation would go with a delegation party majority, rather than a statewide plurality.  If this assumption is true, then the House might pick Obama, right?  We can't predict what the congress that is sworn in on January 3 will look like, but there's a good chance that the Democrats will control 26 delegations.  I hope they don't do it that way, not because of any particular candidate or party, but I think that a delegation should respect the wishes of its constituents.  That would lead to the 25 to 25 tie.  That is not necessarily a problem, because the Senate would be meeting on January 6 to pick a Vice President, and that Vice President would be sworn in on January 20 as President if the House cannot pick a President in the 2-week period leading up to January 20.  Now, it's possible that we could have a 50-50 vote in the Senate.  That would be interesting.  I'd love to see it.  A 25-25 House and a 50-50 senate.  Imagine all the threads and bickering and excitement that would ensue in this forum.  Especially when President Boehner is sworn in on January 20.  

[angus]

Option 2 because while the House won't select him, it would be the democratically proper thing to do.

It wouldn't, because the House will be divided in state delegations and then each state delegation will have one voice. The State delegations should follow the popular vote decision in their states.

They should, but almost all the paid talking heads say that instead they'll go with the delegation majority.  Of course, paid talking heads make lots of predictions that don't come true.