Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Thursday that the state Legislature would hold a special session to help ensure President Joe Biden will be on the state’s ballot after the secretary of state’s office warned he might not be.
GOP Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office informed the state Democratic Party in early April that the national nominating convention takes place after Ohio’s deadline to certify presidential candidates for the ballot, according to The Washington Post. After state lawmakers failed to pass legislation amending the issue, DeWine planned a special session to begin on Tuesday for the purpose of “ensuring that both major party presidential candidates will be on the Ohio ballot in November.”
“Ohio is running out of time to get the sitting President of the United States on the ballot this Fall. Failing to do so is unacceptable,” DeWine said in a statement. “It is important that when Ohioans cast their vote for President of the United States, United States Senator, and many other offices this fall, they have the opportunity to cast a vote for either of the major party candidates for those offices.”
Ohio state law mandates the major parties put forth nominees for the ballot 90 days prior to the election, putting the deadline for this cycle on Aug. 7, according to the Post. However, the Democratic National Convention takes place from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22.
LaRose’s office initially proposed two solutions — for the Democrats to move up the dates of the convention or for the state Legislature to make an exception to the law, according to The Post. The secretary of state sent another letter to the Ohio Democratic Party on Tuesday asking for a remedy, and wrote on X that “as it stands today, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee will not be on the Ohio ballot.”
The secretary of state praised DeWine’s decision to hold the special session in a statement on X Thursday evening.
“I’ve said for months now that this problem created by the Democratic Party can be fixed through legislative action, as the General Assembly has done twice before,” LaRose wrote. “I’m glad the governor agrees, and I applaud his decisive leadership in calling a special session to resolve this issue for the voters of our state.”
Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen delivered a similar warning on April 9 to both the state and national party, with its deadline for ballot certification falling on Aug. 15. The state legislature acted, and GOP Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill on May 2 allowing Biden to be on the state’s ballot.
Former President Donald Trump handily won both red states in 2016 and 2020.
Biden’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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