Joe Biden's Ohio Ballot Problem

Could Joe Biden lose a swing state before the election even begins? It is a possibility.

If the Republicans in Ohio want to play hardball, they can make things very difficult for Captain Demento. And they would be forgiven for doing so, given all the orchestrations of Democrats to keep former President Trump off state ballots.

Democrats have tried everything short of assassination to keep Trump off ballots in many states. And as many Americans believe, the aforementioned and unthinkable is not off the table for the Party of Lynching.

It seems however that Democrats now find themselves in a bit of a pickle.

Biden’s campaign faces a technical error that would render him ineligible to be on the ballot in the key swing state of Ohio.

The timing of the Democratic National Convention in August would cause Biden to miss Ohio’s deadline for ballot access.

Ohio’s secretary of state on Friday signaled that the Democratic National Convention may take place too late for President Joe Biden to appear on the general election ballot in the state, according to a letter obtained by NBC News.

“The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to convene on August 19, 2024, which occurs more than a week after the August 7 deadline to certify a presidential candidate to the office,” Secretary of State Frank LaRose wrote to Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Walters.

ABC News first reported about the existence and content of this letter.

While this doesn’t appear to be a Biden campaign issue and one created by the DNC, the problem exists regardless.

The Democratic Party chose August 19 as the date for the convention. However, Ohio requires that names of candidates to appear on the November ballot be submitted by August 7.

What will the Democrats do?

Option One is to move the convention date up to meet the deadline. Given the coordination that goes into such events, this would be a costly move. But it may be the best choice, given Option Two.

Option Two requires the Ohio state legislature to pass an exemption to the statutory requirement. That option is fraught with potential pitfalls.

For example, any such exemption would to have been submitted three months prior to enactment. Thus, any changes must occur by May 9–a short window, to say the least.

Adding to the angst of Option Two are the Republicans in Ohio. The Republicans control the majority in both chambers of the state legislature. Why would they accommodate Biden to pass a special exemption, when they have him by the short hairs. While the Republicans might be seen as vindictive, they certainly could make the case that they didn’t start the fight.

There is another much less appealing Option Three; less appealing given how Biden does has performed against other Democrats in the primaries, and how it would lessen the ability for Democrats to cheat.

Option Three allow Democrats to leave things as they are. Democrats in Ohio could simply write in Biden on the ballot. Given how “other” is doing against Biden in the primaries, I suspect Democrats will burn the midnight oil looking for a better solution than Option Three. Further, too many identical signatures with Biden’s name might raise a few flags.

Make them pay!

I hope the Ohio Republicans hold firm and force Biden to jump through hoops as Trump is doing now with all the frivolous lawsuits. Democrats must be made to take their own medicine from time to time. This situation warrants such tactics by the Republicans.

Stay tuned. How this is resolved will tell you a lot about the race.

 

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