The Washington Post: Ohio warns Democrats that Biden may miss deadline for November ballot
Experts say there are still options as to whether Biden’s name will appear on Ohio ballot
According to articles in The Washington Post, The Plain Dealer Cleveland and multiple other news outlets, Ohio law says that a major party presidential candidate, in order to qualify for the ballot, must be nominated at their respective party’s conventions no later than 90 days before the general election, a date that falls in early August each year.
The Democratic National Convention, where Joe Biden is expected to receive the nomination, is scheduled for Aug. 19-22, after this year’s Aug. 7 deadline.
“If this were to actually occur and President Biden were held off the ballot, it would be devastating to the general sort of faith in democracy,” political scientist David Niven told The Post.
Niven, an associate professor at The University of Cincinnati’s School of Public and International Affairs, also said while there is little doubt that Trump will win the Republication nomination — at the GOP convention in Julyr — and win Ohio in November, the absence of Biden on the November ballot would hurt democratic candidates running for state political offices.
The law surrounding the deadline has been in place for decades but has at times either been ignored, or an exception was made by the state legislature, the news outlets report.
Experts speculate that Ohio will either make an exception or the Democratic Party will move the convention date up to meet the deadline.
Featured image at top of Ohio sign in concrete courtesy of Unsplash.
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