Biden could be removed from Ohio presidential vote, state election officials warn

politics

by Victor Nava

President Biden is at risk of being removed from Ohio's presidential ballot in November because his nomination as Democratic standard-bearer will not be certified until after the state's polls close, state election officials warned last week.

Under Ohio law, presidential candidates must be certified by Aug. 7, 90 days before the general election, but Biden, 81, won't officially be considered the Democratic nominee until the Democratic National Convention begins on Aug. 19. Not approved as.

The Ohio Secretary of State's Office, which oversees elections in the Buckeye State, said Friday that the president is at risk of being removed from the ballot unless the convention is moved up or an “exception” is made for Biden, the Ohio Democratic Party said. warned.

“I want to assure you that our office complies with Ohio law in a timely manner,” Paul DeSantis, chief legal counsel for the Ohio Secretary of State, said in a letter to Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters on Friday. If you have any information, please contact me as soon as possible.”

“We conclude that either the Democratic National Committee must move forward its nominating convention or the Ohio General Assembly must take action to create an exception to this statutory requirement by May 9, 2024 (90 days before the effective date of the new law). I'm left behind,” he added, according to CNN.

Given the logistics of moving the Democratic National Convention forward, that option seems highly unlikely.

As Disantis points out, the only other option to get Biden on the ballot would be for Republican-controlled state legislatures to change state election laws.

“We are investigating this matter,” a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party told the Post.

A spokesperson for the Biden campaign told the Post: “We are monitoring the situation closely and are confident we will be able to get on the ballot in all 50 states.”

A similar scenario played out before the 2020 election, with Republican and Democratic conventions scheduled after Ohio's polls closed, and the state Legislature approving a one-time change to state law to move the deadline to the general election. Changed 60 days ago.

If state legislatures don't approve a similar waiver in 2024, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) will face off against Biden and Trump-backed entrepreneur Bernie Moreno. The consequences could be dire for both Democrats who voted against it.

Last month, a Florida Atlantic University/Main Street Research poll showed former President Donald Trump leading Biden by 11 points in Ohio, while Brown was ahead of Moreno by the same margin. It was shown that

In Florida, record low turnout saw Republicans flip several city council and mayoral seats in the Sunshine State after Democrats canceled the March primary and opted to award all delegates to Biden. I let it happen.