Ohio’s Republican leaders have turned down the Democrats’ idea to get President Joe Biden on the November ballot. They say it’s all because of timing issues related to when the Democratic Party is holding its convention.
This rejection comes after Ohio’s Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, warned the Democrats about the possibility of Biden not making it onto the ballot because of Ohio’s election rules.
Here’s the deal: Ohio law says the ballot has to be finalized 90 days before the election, which means by August 7 this year. But the Democratic National Convention, where Biden will officially be nominated, isn’t until August 19.
So, Attorney Don McTigue, speaking for the Democrats, suggested that they could give a provisional okay for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris before the deadline. He pointed out that Biden already secured enough support in the primary, winning big with 87% of Ohio’s vote.
But Attorney General Dave Yost’s team said, “Not so fast.” They’re saying that Ohio law is clear: the Democratic Party needs to officially certify its presidential and vice-presidential candidates by August 7, and nobody can change that on their own.
So, where does this leave the Democrats? Well, they’ve got a couple of options. They could try to get the legislature to change the deadline, like they did back in 2020 when this same issue came up.
But that might be a long shot. Democratic leaders seem to be leaning more towards letting the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee handle it, while Republicans aren’t rushing to help out either.
Ohio isn’t the only state dealing with this kind of problem. Other states like Alabama and Washington are in the same boat. Interestingly, Washington’s Secretary of State, who’s a Democrat, is okay with a provisional certification, unlike Ohio. But regardless, Don McTigue and the Biden campaign folks aren’t saying much about their next move, just that they’re confident Biden will be on the ballot in every state.
So, bottom line, Ohio’s GOP saying no to the Democrats highlights the challenges when election deadlines clash with convention schedules. It looks like the Democrats will have to figure out a solution either through the courts or by getting the legislature involved, all while making sure Biden’s name is on every ballot across the country.
