Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelly this week accused Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen of “partisan gamesmanship” and said in the past that favors for Republicans were used when the Republican National Convention was held later in the summer. He pointed out that he had been
“This issue with convention dates has happened many times in the past, most notably with the Alabama Republican Party in 2004, 2012, and 2020, but it is an issue now that the Democratic convention has passed its deadline. It appears to be the only year there is,” Kelly said. said in a statement.
“I took an oath to administer Alabama’s elections in accordance with Alabama law, not to help run the Democratic Party,” Allen said in a statement.
The Biden campaign said possible solutions include a “tentative” certification or formal notification to states before the convention that it expects Biden to be the nominee. But Allen has rejected that idea, and Democrats are also seeking legislative relief.
On Thursday, Democratic state Sen. Merika Coleman of Alabama introduced a bill that would push the state’s deadline back to Aug. 23, the Friday after the Democratic National Convention.
Coleman said in an email that he is “very optimistic” and sent a proposal to Allen’s office before submitting it, but “has not received any indication that he opposes the bill.” No,” he said. But she added that if the bill doesn’t pass, “Republicans need to prepare for one of the largest write-in campaigns the state has ever seen.”
The Biden campaign’s voting access issues were brought to light last week when the Ohio Secretary of State’s office sent a letter to the state’s Democratic Party chair stating that the convention, scheduled to begin on August 19th, was past the deadline. It started to become. This is to certify Biden as a voter. State law requires presidential candidates to be certified 90 days before the election (August 7 this year).
And on Monday, Alabama Secretary of State Allen announced that he had notified the state’s Democratic Party that the national convention was too late to certify Biden. Alabama’s deadline is Aug. 15, four days before the tournament.
“Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states,” Biden campaign spokesman Josh Marcus-Blank said in a statement. “State officials can grant access to provisional ballots before the presidential nominating convention concludes. In 2020 alone, states such as Alabama, Illinois, Montana, and Washington all had Democratic Authorized provisional certification of Republican nominee.”
A spokesperson for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said in an email that the department’s attorneys are “investigating these allegations.” But in Alabama, Allen opposed the concept of a “provisional ballot access certificate” there, saying in a statement that there are “no exceptions” to the law setting the Aug. 15 deadline.
Democrats say this is inconsistent with what Alabama allowed on the Republican ticket in 2020. Because the National Republican Convention was scheduled to be held after the certification deadline, the Alabama Legislature passed a one-time change to the deadline to accommodate the convention. But Republicans nonetheless filed paperwork with the Alabama Secretary of State four days before the convention affirmatively certifying Trump as the “presumptive” candidate.
Ohio also passed a one-time deadline adjustment in 2020, a move intended to help both parties at the time.
Democrats see options as either a “temporary” approach described by the Biden campaign or another one-time legislative relief package, subject to the whims of Republican-controlled legislatures in both states and the ability to pass legislation. It may depend on the deadline. LaRose told the Ohio Democratic Party that the state’s lawmakers have until May 9 to take action.
LaRose also suggested that Democrats might reschedule their national convention, an unlikely scenario despite years of planning. The rally is scheduled for August 19th to 22nd in Chicago.
Biden faces tough odds in Alabama and Ohio, particularly deep red states, but the presidential candidate’s absence could hurt Democratic turnout further down the ballot. Ohio is home to the nation’s most closely watched Senate race, pitting Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown against Republican Bernie Moreno.
“We are reviewing the letter and working with the Biden campaign and many partners, including the Biden campaign. [Democratic National Committee]about potential solutions,” Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Matt Keyes said in a statement this week.
correction
In a previous version of this article, Democratic State Sen. Merika Coleman of Alabama incorrectly said that a bill she introduced would extend the deadline for states to add candidates to the ballot to Aug. 26. Stated. She later stated that was the correct date. August 23rd: The article has been revised.
