President Joe Biden might find himself down a state to start the 2024 election, thanks to an Ohio law that could keep him off the ballot come November.
Last week, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office sent a letter to Ohio Democratic Chair Liz Walters, seeking clarification on the “apparent conflict” with a state law that put in place a deadline for parties to certify their nominee with state officials.
The deadline to certify the nominee is Aug. 7. However, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where Biden is expected to be named the nominee, is scheduled for Aug. 19, meaning Biden may not be on the ballot in Ohio.
A copy of the letter was obtained by ABC News and it reported that in it, legal counsel Paul Disantis provided two solutions.
“Therefore, pending further clarification, I am left to conclude that the Democratic National Committee must either move up its nominating convention or the Ohio General Assembly must act by May 9, 2024 (90 days prior to a new law’s effective date) to create an exception to this statutory requirement,” Disantis said in the letter.
While the Democratic Party usually appears on the ballot in all 50 states, Biden might find himself in a strange predicament.
In the 2016 and 2020 elections, Ohio voted red, casting their electoral votes for former President Donald Trump.