Final answer:
When a seat in the House becomes vacant, the process of filling it again differs for congressional and senatorial seats. In the case of a congressional seat, the governor of the state must call a special election. In the case of a senatorial seat, the executive authority of the state issues writs of election and may make temporary appointments until an election is held.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a seat in the House becomes vacant, the process of filling it again varies depending on whether it is a congressional seat or a senatorial seat. According to Section 2 Clause 4 of the Constitution, when a congressional seat becomes vacant in the middle of a term, the governor of the state must call a special election to fill the opening. On the other hand, when a vacancy happens in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of that state issues writs of election to fill the vacancies, and the legislature of the state may empower the executive to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as directed by the legislature.
The 17th Amendment also allows state legislatures to permit the governor to make temporary appointments until a special election is held. The governor is then required to call a special election to fill the vacancy. The Constitution does not specify how the temporary appointee is selected. Additionally, when the presidency is vacated before an election, the vice president becomes president and selects a vice president who must be confirmed by both houses of Congress.