The Alabama Legislature has introduced bills to ensure that President Joe Biden appears on the November ballot, mirroring the accommodations made in 2020 for then-President Donald Trump. Committees in both the House of Representatives and Senate approved identical bills that would change the state’s certification deadline to accommodate the Democratic Party’s nominating convention. Democratic Senator Merika Coleman, the sponsor of the Senate bill, emphasized the importance of allowing every citizen in Alabama to vote for their preferred candidate.
The issue of Biden’s ballot access has also been a concern in Ohio, where Republican election officials have refused to accept provisional certification, arguing that they do not have the authority to enforce the deadlines. In both Alabama and Ohio, Democratic lawmakers have proposed legislation to address the issue of certification deadlines conflicting with the dates of the Democratic National Convention. In Alabama, the bills have garnered support from Republicans in the legislature, with a focus on ensuring fairness in the electoral process.
Alabama has a history of making accommodations to adjust certification deadlines to accommodate national party conventions. In 2020, the Republican-controlled legislature passed legislation to change the certification deadline to allow President Trump to appear on the ballot. However, an attorney representing the Biden campaign and DNC argued that it was provisional certification that ultimately allowed Trump to be on the ballot. Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has maintained that he does not have the authority to accept provisional certification for candidates.
Similarly, in Ohio, the Attorney General and Secretary of State, both Republicans, have rejected requests to waive the state’s ballot deadline to accommodate the Democratic National Convention. Ohio’s ballot deadline is one of the earliest in the nation, falling 90 days before the general election. Democratic lawmakers in Ohio are awaiting guidance from the DNC on how to proceed, with legislation prepared for a short- or long-term fix to address the certification deadline conflicts.
Overall, the efforts in both Alabama and Ohio to adjust certification deadlines to ensure President Biden’s appearance on the November ballot underscore the complexities of state election laws and the challenges that arise when national party conventions conflict with state deadlines. The bipartisan support for these bills in Alabama highlights a commitment to promoting fairness and giving all citizens the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidate in the upcoming election. It remains to be seen how the issues of certification deadlines and ballot access will be resolved in both states as the election approaches.
