Alabama lawmakers have passed legislation to allow President Joe Biden to appear on the state’s November ballot. The Republican secretary of state had warned that Democrats might miss a state deadline to formally name him as their nominee.
The GOP-led state House passed a bill to push back Alabama’s certification deadline from 82 days before the election to 74 days. This change would give Democrats time to submit Biden’s name after he becomes the nominee at their national convention.
The state Senate had already passed the legislation, and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey plans to sign it, according to a spokesperson for the governor.
This move brings Alabama closer to resolving a politically charged issue that could have led to a legal battle between Democrats and state officials.
Alabama’s secretary of state, Wes Allen, had warned state Democrats and the Democratic National Committee about the timing conflict between the national convention and the state’s certification deadline of August 15. The Democratic convention is scheduled for August 19-22, while the Republican convention is in July.
In the past, certification timeline issues have been resolved by enacting legislation to adjust the deadline or accepting provisional certifications from political parties.
Ohio, which requires nominee names to be submitted 90 days before the general election, faces a similar issue. State officials have stated they won’t accept provisional certification.
Ohio’s Republican State Senate president expressed confidence that Biden would be on the ballot, either through legislation or federal court intervention. He cited a recent US Supreme Court decision that allowed Trump to remain on the primary ballot in Colorado despite a state court ruling.
