EXPLAINER: For election winner, much transition work ahead

matter who wins on Tuesday, Republican President Donald Trump or Democrat Joe Biden each will have ir work cut out for m during weeks between presidential election and inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20, 2021.

That period is kwn as “transition," and this year's window is 78 days, or a little over 11 weeks, assuming a winner is kwn Tuesday. It will be shorter if outcome remains unsettled for days or weeks after election, partly due to large volume of mail-in ballots.

In 2000, five weeks elapsed before Supreme Court settled contested election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore , leaving Bush about half amount of time to man transitioning government from outgoing Clinton ministration.

WHAT IF TRUMP WINS?

If reelected, Trump will have somewhat of a built-in vant as incumbent in that he won't have to build an entire ministration from scratch. He's alrey done that.

president's primary task, and it could still prove to be quite challenging, will be to identify and bring aboard new talent for second term — eir to replace Cabinet secretaries, White House staff and or ministration officials he's soured on, or who have decided to move on.

WHAT IF BIDEN WINS?

His immediate task will be even more gargantuan.

former vice president will have some 4,000 positions throughout government to fill with political appointees — people who are specifically tapped for ir jobs by Biden and his team, often beginning with key Cabinet departments like State and Defense.

Biden's vant will be his ability to draw on his past experience of going through a transition as running mate of n-President-elect Barack Obama after 2008 election.

ARE Y STARTING FROM SCRATCH?

Some of this transition work began months ago.

Under Presidential Transition Act , General Services ministration, which essentially functions as federal government's landlord, will immediately provide office and or support services to Biden and running mate Kamala Harris if y are elected.

law also required White House and government ncies to begin planning several months ago for transition.

(Im Credit: AP)