Democrats took liberty to switch candidates without historical or legal precedent when one of their candidates died just before election day. When Mel Carnahan died just days before the election democratds trotted his wife out and declared her to be the candidate in Mel's stead, thus winning a close vote in the Nonvember election by the massive addition of sympathy votes. Jean Carnahan's name never appeared on a ballot. Democrats are famous for finding ways to appoint people to elected offices without the bother of an election.