GOP Secretaries Of State Warn Joe Biden May Be Left Off Ballot In Alabama, Ohio

The secretaries of state for Alabama and Ohio sent letters to President Joe Biden’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties warning that the president may miss the deadline to be included on their states’ general election ballots, even though both states have allowed candidates to appear on the ballots in similar circumstances in the past.

The letters warn that the Democratic Party nominating convention, scheduled to begin Aug. 19, falls after the date when each state is required by law to certify its general election ballots. In Ohio, ballots must be certified 90 days before the election, while in Alabama, the ballot certification deadline is 82 days prior.

“If this Office has not received a valid certificate of nomination from the Democratic Party following its convention by the statutory deadline, I will be unable to certify the names of the Democratic Party’s candidates for President and Vice President for ballot preparation for the 2024 general election,” Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, a Republican, wrote in a letter to the Alabama Democratic Party on Tuesday.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose sent his letter on April 6 to Biden and the national and state Democratic parties, saying the president would be excluded from the ballot unless the convention date changes or the state legislature grants a waiver.

Democrats do not appear immediately concerned about the letters, claiming that this has happened before and been resolved numerous times.

“Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states,” a Biden campaign official said in a statement. “State officials have the ability to grant provisional ballot access certification prior to the conclusion of presidential nominating conventions. In