Even if it is too late to remove a name from ballots, the Democrats and Republicans would name a new nominee as their standard-bearer.
Fortier said it’s important to remember that when people cast a vote, they aren’t voting for a candidate, but for electors who will vote for their preferred party in the Electoral College.
Because of that, electors in most states could simply vote for the replacement nominee, regardless of which name is actually on the ballot, he said.
Nevertheless, it gets complicated once again if a candidate dies or becomes incapacitated when electors vote because of state laws restricting who the electors can vote for.
“There is a potential for some confusion,” said Ned Foley, director of the Election Law Program at Ohio State. That’s because about a dozen states either don’t specifically address what electors should do if a candidate has dies, or have laws obligating electors to vote for the name on the ballot rather than the party’s nominee, he said
States might move to change the law, or the question of who electors should vote for could be decided in state courts, he said.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/17/presidential-candidate-death-during-campaign/74402360007/