Juneau, Alaska – President Joe Biden is looking to further advance his party's nomination for re-election with Democratic votes cast in Wyoming and Alaska on Saturday.
As the two least populous states, Alaska and Wyoming play a small role in both intraparty and general election voting in presidential election years.
Mr. Biden effectively confirmed his Democratic nomination in the Georgia primary on March 12, making it almost certain that he will face former President Donald Trump as the Republican candidate in November.
alaska
The Alaska Democratic Party will conduct voice voting for party-run preference surveys at in-person and virtual district meetings on Saturday.
Biden is the only candidate on the ballot after another eligible Democrat, Dean Phillips, suspended his campaign last month. Voting takes place during the meeting where the other party's business is being conducted.
The vote was delayed by a week. The Democratic Party had planned to hold a ranked-choice vote-by-mail election on April 6, but plans changed after only two candidates, Biden and Phillips, qualified to vote, and Phillips put his candidacy on hold. Ta.
Changes to their plan were approved by the Democratic National Committee.
Alaska Party Executive Director Lindsay Kavanaugh said Biden was the only candidate on the ballot, and there was no write-in or no-vote provision.
“Voting no is not an option,” she said. “You can abstain. You're not voting yes or no, you're voting for a candidate.”
The party will proceed with the vote even if there is only one candidate “to ensure it is as inclusive as possible” and to avoid any presumption that the party leadership is deciding on candidates themselves. , she said.
Alaska will allocate 15 pledged delegates based on Saturday's vote.
wyoming
Wyoming's Democratic Party will hold county caucuses on Saturday, and votes will determine which presidential candidate wins the state's 17 national delegates.
The caucus will also decide who will attend the state Democratic convention June 1 in Casper. Thirteen of Wyoming's delegates to the national convention are selected there.
Wyoming's other four “automatic” national delegates are the state party chair, vice chair and two national committee members, but they have not yet announced support for Biden or anyone else.
The winner of Saturday's presidential vote will receive the first-round votes of all 17 Wyoming delegates to the national convention. If more votes are needed, delegates are free to vote for whomever they wish.
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Gruber reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming.
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