Suffect

A suffect (suffectus) is a substitute or replacement for a Roman magistrate who died in office. The most well-attested suffects are those of the consuls, who in the republican period were elected to fill vacancies if one of the consuls died. However, other magistracies could also have suffects, such as the plebeian tribunate.

In the case of the censorship, however, there was generally no suffect. In the early republic this was permitted. However, after the sack of the city by the Gauls in 387 BC occurred during a censorship with a suffect, a censor who found himself without colleague was required to resign and new censors were then elected.