ALTERNATE, in American politics, a delegate chosen to act in the place of the regu lar delegate to a con ventif,11 during the latter's absence. At all poilt.m,al ...inventions since 1840 alternates in increasing numbers have been selected to attend when their principals did not get to the convention at all, or to take the latters' places during a temporary absence. Since 1884 in all conventions of the Republican party an alternate for every delegate has been chosen. Alternates are usually seated in a separate part of the convention hall; and when a regular delegate withdraws, his alternate has a right to the seat of his principal and to act in his stead. Recent rulings by convention chairmen hold that, on roll call, if a member answer °present but not voting," he is con structively absent and the chairman may call on the alternate to vote in his stead.
In American political law the general prin ciple is that a person elected to office must him self discharge the duties of that office. There can be no written proxies either for legislators or executive officials. In some States a lieu tenant-governor may act as governor whenever the governor is absent from the State and some city charters permit a mayor to designate an acting mayor from among certain officials when he expects to be absent. In New York city the president of the board of Aldermen becomes automatically acting 'mayor when the mayor is absent from the city. Concerning the judiciary, there exists a certain latitude in as signment of justices, by which a justice may hold court outside his own district. This ap plies to both Federal and State courts. See CONVENTION; PARLIAMENTARY LAW.