Republican secretaries of state in Ohio and Alabama cautioned their constituents that President Biden’s probable nomination at the Democratic National Convention would prevent him from appearing on their ballots in November. In light of this warning, Democratic leaders are weighing their options. Despite the Biden campaign’s assurances that he would be on the ballot in both states, the current predicament has further complicated matters for Democrats and heightened cynicism against election authorities over the supposedly impartial process.
Just days before being confirmed as the Democratic presidential candidate, Alabama’s chief election official cautioned the state’s Democratic Party on Tuesday that President Joe Biden may not be on the ballot for the general election in the state because of a crucial deadline. Only one month ago did Biden amass the necessary delegates to gain the Democratic presidential candidacy, but he will not be officially nominated until the August 19–22, Chicago, Democratic National Convention. To obtain certification, it must be done by the 82nd day before the election, as stated in an Alabama statute. On November 5th, the election will take place.
Despite Alabama’s caution, a spokesman for Joe Biden’s campaign assured the New York Post that the president will be on the ballot in all 50 states. As with Biden and Trump in the 2020 election, the spokesman anticipates that Alabama will give provisional ballot-access certification. According to the secretary of state’s office, there are no “provisional certifications” according to Alabama law.
This past week, the Biden campaign’s ballot-access problems were brought to light when the Ohio secretary of state’s office wrote a letter to the state’s Democratic party chair, stating that the convention, scheduled to commence on August 19, is beyond the deadline to certify Biden for the ballot. According to state law, presidential candidates must be approved 90 days before the election, which falls on August 7th this year.
According to Allen, the state’s secretary of state, who made the announcement on Monday, it is too late for the Alabama Democrats’ national convention to confirm Biden. Please note that the deadline for Alabama is August 15—four days before the convention. According to Democrats, this goes against Alabama’s 2020 GOP platform. Legislators in Alabama temporarily extended the certification date so it wouldn’t conflict with the National Republican Convention, which was supposed to be held after the original deadline.
