COLUMBUS, Ohio—A majority of Ohio lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that President Joe Biden should and will appear on the state’s general election ballot this November.
The path to how that will happen remains in question.
On May 28, as Ohio lawmakers convened for a special session called by Gov. Mike DeWine to discuss legislation that would place President Biden on the ballot, the Democratic National Committee announced it would hold a virtual convention to nominate their candidate and meet Ohio’s ballot certification deadline.
Ohio law mandates officials to certify the November ballot on Aug. 7, 90 days before Election Day, which this year is Nov. 5.
President Biden is expected to be formally nominated for reelection at the Democratic National Convention, which will be held from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22 in Chicago.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, wrote a letter in April to state Democrat officials warning that President Biden might not qualify for the general election ballot unless Democrats adjust their convention date or convince Republicans to change state law by May 9.
The state House and Senate appeared to be on the verge of passing a legislative fix to President Biden’s ballot issue earlier this month.
The chambers could not reach an agreement, and they opted not to pass emergency legislation that would have allowed President Biden to appear on the ballot.
A bill from the House would add President Biden’s name to the general election ballot and allow additional time for political parties to certify nominees in future presidential elections.
The Senate passed a bill that adjusted the deadline, placed President Biden on the ballot, and banned foreign spending on state ballot issues.
House Speaker Jason Stephens, a Republican, chose to adjourn the May 8 session instead of calling for a vote on the measure, drawing the ire of many conservative lawmakers in the chamber.
On May 28, after learning about the DNC’s plan for a virtual convention, Ohio’s Senate Republicans passed a bill that would place President Biden on the general election ballot and ban foreign contributions to state ballot issue campaigns.
No Democrats in the Ohio Senate voted for the legislation.
“We don’t need your fix. The DNC just released a statement several minutes ago that says we’re going to hold a virtual vote of our delegates across the country and nominate President Biden to the ballot,” State Sen. Bill DeMora told reporters.
“We don’t want a legislative fix that holds the voters and their rights to the whim of the majority.”
DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison vowed in a statement that President Biden will appear on the ballot in all 50 states.
Mr. Harrison criticized Ohio Republican lawmakers for focusing on the legislation that prevents foreign contributions to state ballot issues instead of the bill that solely addresses adjusting the ballot certification deadline.
“When the time has come for action, they [Ohio Republicans] have failed to act every time, so Democrats will land this plane on our own,” Mr. Harrison said.
A date for the virtual nomination has yet to be announced. It is expected to happen after the DNC’s rules and bylaw committee convenes on June 4.
Mr. DeWine remains hopeful that legislators can pass a measure to place President Biden on the ballot and prevent foreign contributions to state ballot issues.
The House still must vote on the legislation passed by the Senate on May 28, and Mr. DeWine must sign it into law.
“While I understand the Democratic National Committee has just today proposed a work-around to help get President Biden on the Ohio ballot, it is prudent legislation be passed to get this done.
“As I previously said, we do not want to leave something so basic as having the sitting President of the United States on the ballot to others when this can and should be done legislatively. It’s the right thing to do,” Mr. DeWine said in a statement.
“For these reasons, it is important that a bill or multiple bills that accomplish these common-sense measures come to my desk right away this week. It’s the right thing to do,” he added.
Ohio is the only state that would not have President Biden on the ballot if a solution is not reached.
In Alabama, there was a conflict between the state’s ballot certification deadline and President Biden’s nomination date, but the legislature unanimously passed a bill to remedy the issue.
Republican Gov. Kay Ivy signed it into law.
Mr. LaRose has adamantly supported President Biden’s ballot access but has been outspoken that the legislation should include the attachment that does not allow foreign contributions to state ballot issues.
“Whatever the outcome, I’m hopeful this gets resolved quickly and in the best interest of Ohio voters so we can move forward with preparing for the November election,” he said in a May 29 statement.
“I’m also hopeful that legislators don’t leave town this week without sending a clear message that Ohio’s constitution is not for sale to foreign billionaires,” he added.
