Substitute (elections)

A substitute is a political candidate who is not directly elected, but who succeeds a politician holding an elected office after that person ceases to hold the office due to, for example, resignation or death. This system can be used to fill casual vacancies instead of holding by-elections or special elections to fill the vacant office. Substitutes are nominated, not at the time the vacancy arises but, rather, before the election for the information of voters. In voting systems which use electoral lists, the candidates on a given list who are not among those initially elected may become the substitutes for those who are. In other systems, individual candidates may have substitutes.

Belgium

In Belgian federal parliamentary elections, each electoral list has both a list of "effective" candidates and a list of "substitutes" (Dutch: opvolgers; French: suppléants). The system was introduced as part of the law of 29 December 1899 introducing proportional representation. Before that, by-elections were held to succeed members.

For municipal and provincial elections, as well as those for the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region since 2019, there is only one list, and substitutes are designated, according to various systems from one region to another, on the base of their own preferential votes, weighted or not with list votes, i.e. not for one or several specific candidate(s).

France

In the elections for the French National Assembly, each candidate is on a ticket with a substitute (French: Suppléant), who assumes the functions of the elected deputy under specific conditions. The substitute assumes the functions of the deputy if the deputy dies, enters the executive government, is appointed by the Government to an assignment of more than six months' duration, or appointed to the Constitutional Council or Defender of Rights (Défenseur des droits).

If the deputy resigns, or their election is determined to be invalid, a by-election (French: élections legislatives partielles) is held instead.

The Electoral Code does not provide for any age restriction to be appointed alternate. For the Fourteenth Legislature (2012 - 2017), the youngest Deputy-Substitute in France was Nicolas Brien, born in 1989, who was elected in Allier's 2nd constituency.

Examples

2017

• Élise Fajgeles replaced Benjamin Griveaux when he was appointed Secretary of State to the Minister of the Economy and Finance on 22 July 2017.
• Grégory Galbadon replaced Stéphane Travert when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture on 22 July 2017

2018

• Jean-Louis Thiériot replaced Yves Jégo in Seine-et-Marne's 3rd constituency.

2019

• Stéphanie Atger replaced Amélie de Montchalin when she was appointed Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

2020

• Sandra Boëlle replaced Claude Goasguen in Paris's 14th constituency when he died.
• Nicolas Meizonnet replaced Gilbert Collard in Gard's 2nd constituency when he was elected to the European Parliament.

2021

• Maud Gatel replaced Marielle de Sarnez in Paris's 11th constituency when she died

Philippines

In the Philippines, a substitute is a person who replaces the candidate up to midday of election day. The Commission on Elections only allows substution for certain reasons and on certain periods, if the original candidate dies, withdraws or is disqualified; after a certain date, substitution via withdrawal is prohibited, and a candidate can only be substituted by someone who has the same surname as the original candidate. Furthermore, only candidates who were nominated by a political party can be substituted.

If a vacancy occurs after the term of office begins, substitutes do not replace the original candidate:

• For executive offices (president, governor, mayor), the deputy (vice president, vice governor, vice mayor, as the case may be) replaces the original officeholder
• For the vice president, the president nominates a new officeholder, which is then confirmed by Congress.
• For members of Congress, a special election (called as "by-elections" elsewhere) is held, except for members elected under the party-list system, where the next person on the list takes their place.
• For deputies of local executive offices (vice governor, vice mayor), the candidate with the highest number of votes in the local legislature (Sangguniang Panlalawigan and Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sangguniang Bayan, as the case may be) replaces the original officeholder
• For members of local legislatures, the political party nominates a new officeholder; if the vacating officeholder is an independent, the chief executive (president, governor, mayor, as the case may be) appoints a replacement.

Examples

• Magnolia Antonino substituted for her husband Gaudencio Antonino in the 1967 Philippine Senate election after the latter died on election eve. Magnolia eventually won.
• Edna Sanchez substituted for her husband Armando Sanchez in 2010 Batangas gubernatorial election after the latter died. Edna eventually lost.
• Rodrigo Duterte substituted for Martin Diño in the 2016 Philippine presidential election after the latter withdrew. Duterte eventually won.
• Sara Duterte substituted for Lyle Fernando Uy in the 2022 Philippine vice presidential election after the latter withdrew. Duterte eventually won.
• Bong Go substituted for Grepor Belgica in the 2022 Philippine presidential election after the latter withdrew. Go eventually withdrew himself.