The Democratic National Convention may take place too late for President Joe Biden to appear on the general election ballot in Ohio, an official has warned.
President Joe Biden may have trouble getting on the general election ballot in Ohio because of an apparent conflict in state law related to the timing of the Democratic National Committee’s nominating process and a deadline for certifying the party’s presidential nominee to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, according to reports.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose flagged the issue in a letter sent to Ohio Democratic Chair Liz Walters on April 5, which was obtained by several news outlets.
Mr. LaRose wrote in the letter that Aug. 7, 2024, is the deadline to certify a presidential candidate to his office but the Democratic National Convention is scheduled for Aug. 19, 2024, so about a week too late for President Biden to appear on Ohio’s general election ballot.
Ohio state rules indicate that officials of a political party must certify the name of their chosen presidential candidate “on or before the ninetieth day before the day of the general election,” which in the 2024 election cycle falls on Nov. 5, meaning the certification deadline falls on Aug. 7.
The fix, according to Mr. LaRose, is either for the state’s lawmakers to pass an exception or for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to hold its nominating convention earlier.
“I am left to conclude that the Democratic National Committee must either move up its nominating convention or the Ohio General Assembly must act by May 9, 2024 (90 days prior to a new law’s effective date) to create an exception to this statutory requirement,” Mr. LaRose’s legal counsel, Paul Disantis, wrote in the letter, according to ABC News.
Neither the Biden campaign nor the DNC responded to a request for comment from The Epoch Times by press time.
However, a Biden campaign spokesperson told ABC News that the campaign is confident in being able to resolve the issue, while the DNC told the outlet that it’s reviewing the letter.
By Tom Ozimek
