Ohio Warns Democrats: Joe Biden Won’t Appear On 2024 Ballot

In the Buckeye State, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a stern warning to Democrats: President Joe Biden may be absent from Ohio’s ballot this November. A scheduling conflict between Ohio’s election laws and the Democratic National Convention (DNC) threatens to sideline Biden.

Ohio law mandates that presidential candidates be nominated 90 days before the election—a deadline set for August 7 this year. However, the DNC won’t convene until August 19, putting Biden’s candidacy in jeopardy.

LaRose, a Republican, has expressed his concerns through official correspondence. “I write to inform you that my office still has not received communication on behalf of the Ohio Democratic Party or the Democratic National Committee that clarifies the party’s intent to comply with Ohio’s ballot access deadline,” LaRose said in a letter on Tuesday to Liz Walters, Chairwoman of the Ohio Democratic Party.

The Secretary of State warned that without a resolution or legal workaround, he would instruct county election boards to prepare ballots without the Democratic nominees for president and vice president.

“Unless your party plans to comply with the statutory deadline, I am duty-bound to instruct boards of elections to begin preparing ballots that do not include the Democratic Party’s nominees for president and vice president of the United States,” LaRose wrote.

I’ve said from here to Colorado that it’s in the best interest of voters to have a choice in the race for president. I’m also duty-bound to follow the law as Ohio’s chief elections officer.

As it stands today, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee will not be on the Ohio… pic.twitter.com/Y5AkZBoow2

— Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) May 21, 2024

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The letter highlighted a possible breakdown in the democratic process, with potential national implications if one of the major party candidates is absent from the ballot in a key battleground state. LaRose offered solutions in his previous communications, including a change in the DNC’s nomination timeline or legislative action to amend the deadline. However, both suggestions have fallen flat.

LaRose concluded his letter with a call for expedient action: “I trust that you will act quickly to resolve this conflict so we can move forward with clarity in preparing for the November general election.”

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However, Ohio lawmakers are confident that Biden will be on the November ballot, but how remains uncertain. The fix won’t come from the legislature, according to Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R) and Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D).

“There’s just not the will to do that from the legislature,” said Stephens according to the Ohio Capitol Journal.

“We’ve seen the dysfunction here,” Russo said. “I think you’re probably going to see either inner party efforts or court action.” However, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) believes the legislature must act. “I have every confidence that it’s going to get done. No one should worry… it’s either going to be done by the court, or it’s going to be done by the legislature.”

Ohio law requires political parties to certify candidates with the Secretary of State 90 days before an election. The Democratic National Convention, where Biden will be officially nominated, is 75 days before the election.

“Republican politicians at the statehouse want to take away Ohioans’ ability to choose who they want to be President,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters. “Corrupt politicians in Columbus have politicized the process.”

Biden’s campaign remains confident. “Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states,” said spokesperson Charles Lutvak. House and Senate bills have proposed different fixes, with the Senate attaching the fix to a campaign child care bill and the House proposing a clean bill. Alabama faced a similar issue but passed a law to ensure Biden would be on their ballot, moving their certification deadline from 82 to 74 days before the election.

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