The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has proposed a solution to ensure the presence of Joe Biden on the Ohio ballot in the upcoming November elections.
The proposal comes amid a challenging situation for Ohio Democrats due to a discrepancy between state law and the Democratic National Convention's schedule.
As reported by Blaze News, Ohio law stipulates that parties must certify their presidential and vice presidential nominees 90 days before Election Day. This year, that deadline falls on August 7. However, the Democratic National Convention, where Biden and Kamala Harris are expected to be officially nominated, is not scheduled until August 22.
In the past, similar deadline issues have been resolved through temporary legislative fixes passed by state lawmakers. However, this year, no such legislative solutions have been put forth. Consequently, the DNC has taken the initiative to address the issue, promising to conduct a "virtual roll call" to nominate Biden and Harris in time for the August 7 deadline.
DNC Chair Jamie Harrison stated, "Joe Biden will be on the ballot in Ohio and all 50 states, and Ohio Republicans agree. But when the time has come for action, they have failed to act every time, so Democrats will land this plane on our own." He further added, "Through a virtual roll call, we will ensure that Republicans cant chip away at our democracy through incompetence or partisan tricks and that Ohioans can exercise their right to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice."
The DNC successfully conducted a similar virtual roll call in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the party plans to gather enough members for a virtual vote for formal certification, followed by a separate in-person vote at the convention.
While the date for the virtual roll call is yet to be scheduled, it is expected to take place after June 4. On this date, committee members are anticipated to meet and vote on amendments to bylaws concerning roll calls.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, confirmed that a national roll call would meet state laws regarding nominee certification. However, he claimed that he had not received any official notification about a virtual roll call from Democratic officials.
A spokesperson for LaRose stated, "We havent been contacted by the Democratic Party or its legal counsel about the revisions they reportedly intend to make to their nominating process. Moving up the date of their formal convention vote to meet Ohios ballot access deadline was certainly one option offered by our office for consideration. The other option was legislative action to temporarily adjust the certification deadline. Were encouraged to see the party is actively pursuing both solutions, and we look forward to seeing the details."
Republican Governor Mike DeWine expressed relief that the ballot issue is likely to be resolved soon. However, he also called for a special legislative session to find a more permanent solution to the deadline problem. "We do not want to leave something so basic as having the sitting President of the United States on the ballot to others when this can and should be done legislatively," he said.
Governor DeWine also urged lawmakers to address concerns regarding foreign influence on state campaigns. He alleged that some individuals "likely intend to put foreign money into ballot measures this fall and that groups promoting these initiatives might be relying on such support from foreign sources."
In response, state Democrats argued that foreign donations are already illegal. Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) claimed, "[Republicans] are using this as a cover to get at what they really want to attack and that is weakening the citizen ballot initiative process."
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