Special Poll
The Ohio Secretary of State’s office has warned that President Biden might not be placed on the state’s general election ballot due to timing issues related to the Democratic National Convention’s scheduling. According to The Washington Post, a letter addressed to Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters from the office indicated that the convention’s timing could conflict with Ohio’s legal deadline, which mandates presidential nominees to be certified 90 days before the general election.
This year, with the general election set for November 5, Ohio’s deadline for candidate certification falls on August 7. However, the Democratic National Convention, where Biden is anticipated to be nominated for a second face-off with Donald Trump, is slated to begin on August 19, past the state’s deadline.
Paul DiSantis, the chief legal counsel for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, sought clarification in the letter to ensure the Democratic Party’s adherence to Ohio’s electoral regulations. Although Ohio Democratic leaders did not immediately respond to inquiries, a Biden-Harris 2024 campaign spokesperson, Josh Marcus-Blank, expressed confidence to The Post that Biden would secure a spot on the ballot in all states.
LaRose’s office proposed that the Democratic National Committee could either advance its nominating convention to comply with the Ohio deadline or that the Ohio legislature might allow an exemption for the Democratic nominee.
Notably, Ohio has supported Trump in the past two presidential elections. It is uncommon for nominees of the major parties to be excluded from the ballot in any state, although there was a notable incident in the current Democratic primaries where Biden was absent from New Hampshire’s ballot. After the Democratic Party reorganized its 2024 primary calendar, prioritizing South Carolina, Biden chose not to register in New Hampshire, where local law insists on holding the nation’s first primary. Nevertheless, he succeeded there as a write-in candidate.
Past elections have seen similar challenges, such as Trump’s near omission from Minnesota’s ballot in 2016 due to a party error, and his disqualification from Colorado’s primary ballot in December, which was later overturned by the Supreme Court.
Both Trump and Biden have campaigned in Ohio, which holds 17 electoral votes, this year. Biden’s visit to East Palestine followed a train derailment causing environmental and political tensions, while Trump’s Vandalia rally included contentious remarks about immigration and the forthcoming election.