The Democratic Party leaders announced on Tuesday their plan to nominate President Biden for a second term through a virtual roll call of delegates at the party’s national convention. This decision was made to bypass a legal issue in Ohio that could have prevented Mr. Biden from appearing on the November ballot in the state.
Ohio law mandates that all candidates must be officially certified by August 7th. However, Mr. Biden’s nomination was scheduled to take place after the Democratic National Convention commences on August 19th. To meet the Ohio deadline, the party opted for a virtual roll call of delegates.
Simultaneously, the Ohio Legislature held a special session, the first in two decades, to address the ballot issue at the state level. Despite easily resolving similar problems in previous presidential elections, the legislators were divided, causing a delay in taking action.
Governor Mike DeWine, a frustrated Republican, criticized the legislative gridlock and called for the special session. He deemed the lack of progress “ridiculous” and “absurd.”
Last week, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens acknowledged the challenges in quickly resolving Mr. Biden’s ballot issue, citing a lack of legislative will and a highly political environment.
Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, criticized the Republican lawmakers for their inaction and affirmed that Joe Biden would be on the Ohio ballot. The Democrats proceeded with the early roll call as a solution, a method also utilized during the 2020 nomination due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The need for the Ohio special session highlighted the dysfunction and partisan divisions within the ruling party, despite holding majorities in the Legislature.
In past instances of scheduling conflicts like in 2012 and 2020, the Ohio Legislature granted exceptions to the August 7th deadline to accommodate convention schedules. Similarly, Alabama swiftly addressed a similar issue this year, but Ohio Republicans failed to take action despite early warnings.
Internal divisions among Republicans in the Ohio House and Senate, along with political rivalries, have hindered legislative progress. The lack of action on crucial matters led to a minimal number of bills passed in the 2023 session, reflecting a historically unproductive year for the Ohio Legislature.
