In the 2016 Election, it seems like anything could happen — including an Electoral College tie. Plenty of states are still hovering with less than a percentage point difference between the votes for Clinton and the votes for Trump, the chances of a 269-269 result is possible, according to the Wall Street Journal.
If the electoral votes do end result in a dead tie, Congress has to get a bit more involved than usual. As Vox reports, the House Of Representatives would meet to select the next president... but not until 2017. Unlike the uneven split of the Electoral College, each state would get a single vote once January rolls around, meaning the candidate with at least 26 votes would become the president elect. If there's still a tie after the House votes, then it all rests on the Senate: They pick the vice president in the case of an Electoral College tie, and that VP would be automatically elevated to president if one has not been selected by the date of inauguration (Jan. 21, 2017). Woof.
Since the House will likely still be majority Republican at that time, most sources are speculating that a dead tie would ultimately end in a Trump presidency.
Though it's rare, this wouldn't be the first time the House picked the President: According to TIME, they previously chose Thomas Jefferson over Andrew Burr and John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson. It just goes to show how important local elections are.
