President Joe Biden is set to be formally nominated as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee through a virtual roll call vote before the party's official convention in Chicago, Illinois. This move comes after Ohio lawmakers failed to pass legislation that would have allowed Biden to appear on the state's ballot before its Aug. 7 deadline due to a glitch in Ohio law.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced the virtual roll call vote on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. The move will ensure that Biden appears on the November ballot in all 50 states, including Ohio. The virtual roll call is expected to be completed before Ohio's Aug. 7 deadline for all candidates to be legally certified.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose had warned that Biden would not appear on the state's ballot unless the legislature moved the ballot access deadline past the convention. However, Republican lawmakers in Ohio were unable to pass a bill that would have resolved this issue due to deep divisions within their party.
Governor Mike DeWine, also a Republican, had called for action on this issue and expressed frustration over the legislative gridlock. He described it as 'ridiculous' and 'absurd'.
The virtual roll call vote will look similar to the process used during the 2020 Democratic National Convention when most of the proceedings were impacted by Covid-19 restrictions. The Chicago convention is still scheduled to go on as planned, serving as a convening event for the party.
This is not an uncommon occurrence in U.S. elections, with a few states each election year having ballot certification deadlines that fall before the national conventions. These misalignments are usually resolved quietly by either the state legislature or by secretaries of state.
The virtual roll call vote will allow Democrats to ensure that Ohioans can exercise their right to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice without any disruptions from incompetence or partisan tricks.
