This is the first article in a series titled 2020 Election Sidebar, which explores salient legal issues of the 2020 election.

Former Vice President Joe Biden says he is worried that President Trump may delay the November election to stay in office. He needn’t be. Trump has no authority to cancel or postpone the presidential election. The U.S. Constitution explicitly provides that a president’s term is four years, and the new or re-elected president is sworn in at noon on January 20th. There is no provision or precedent for a sitting president to extend his term beyond then.