Larry the Answer Guy: Answer is in an amendment

This year we have a re-elected president and vice president. If the president should die, the VP would become president. But who would be inaugurated on Jan. 21 for the new term? Does the Constitution provide for an occurrence like that? — Abilene

If there's not an app for that, there's an amendment.

And that would be the 20th Amendment, says Paul Fabrizio, political science professor at McMurry University. Section 3 reads, "If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President Elect shall have died, the Vice President Elect shall become President."

Therefore, Fabrizio says, "If a president died after he/she was re-elected by the Electoral College, the vice president becomes president on the president's death and then is sworn in as president on Inauguration Day."

No president-elect or re-elected president has ever died before his inauguration. However, William Henry Harrison has the dubious distinction of serving the shortest time as president. During his inauguration on March 4, 1841, the 68-year-old war hero, at the time the oldest person to be elected president, refused to wear an overcoat or hat despite cold, wet conditions. On top of that, his inaugural speech, given outdoors, lasted nearly two hours.

He died of pneumonia a month later.

Larry the Answer Guy answers questions Mondays through Thursdays. Send questions to or P.O. Box 30, Abilene TX 79604.