Presidential transition of Barack Obama time of their election, President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden were incumbent U.S. Senators from Illinois and Delaware respectively. In accordance with Article I, Section 6 of the United States Constitution, both were required to resign their respective Senate seats on or before January 20, 2009, in order to become President and Vice President. Obama resigned from the Senate effective November 16, 2008. Initially, it was thought that his replacement would be named by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Since the term for the seat expired in January 2011, it would come up for its normal election in 2010 with
Vice President of the Maldives President Gayoom on 7 August 2008, the post of Vice President was once again created with the duties described above. Under the new constitution, Dr. Mohammed Waheed Hassan of the Gaumee Itthihaad Party became the first "elected" Vice President of Maldives and was sworn into office on November 11, 2008. Mohamed Nasheed was elected into office as the President of the Maldives and together they effectively ended the 30 year rule of then Asia's longest serving ruler President Gayoom. Dr. Waheed was the senior most Maldivian in the United Nations when he retired from it in June 2008, in order