President Joe Biden may face challenges qualifying for the general election ballot in Ohio due to a conflict in state law related to the timing of the Democratic National Committee’s nominating process and a deadline for certifying the party’s presidential nominee to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.
The DNC meets on August 19 to nominate its candidate for president. However, Ohio law sets a deadline of August 7 to certify presidential candidates for the November ballot, according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
In a note addressed to Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Walters, LaRose stated that the issue can be solved in two ways. Either the Democratic Party will need to move up the date for its nominating convention or get the Ohio state legislature to “create an exemption to this statutory requirement” by May 9.
“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,” LaRose’s legal counsel, Paul Disantis wrote.
A spokesperson for the president told NBC News that the Biden campaign is “monitoring the situation in Ohio and we’re confident that Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states.”
According to a recent Florida Atlantic University poll, former President Donald Trump is dominating the polls among Ohio voters.
The poll found that 51 percent of Ohioans say they will vote for Trump, while only 40 percent support Biden.
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In addition, an Emerson College survey found that 50 percent of Ohio voters support Trump in the 2024 election, while only 41 percent support Biden.
The 2024 presidential race is expected to be one of the most expensive election cycles in U.S. history.
Per AdImpact, the Biden campaign has spent more than $16 million on ads since the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5. They currently have $132 million reserved for ads through November.
On the contrary, the Trump campaign has spent only $3.4 million since the March primary, with $265,000 earmarked for future ads.
The 2020 election cycle is capped at $6 billion, while the 2024 race is expected to exceed $10.2 billion, according to OpenSecrets.org.
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