Democrats plan to formally renominate President Joe Biden in a virtual vote before the party’s national convention in the first week of August, despite objections from some Democrats who want more time for the party to consider alternative candidates.
The plan was officially announced in a letter sent to members of the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday morning after weeks of internal wrangling over whether to stick with Biden after his poor debate performance.
Parties usually nominate presidential standard bearers during live voting at their national conventions, which are often the highlight of the event. But Democrats were planning an unusual virtual call before the convention Avoid potential lawsuits in Ohiothey say.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, co-chairman of the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee, told reporters Wednesday that the early nomination had nothing to do with Biden’s debate performance or doubts about his ability to beat former President Donald Trump.
“This meeting was planned for many months, for Friday, and it was never intended to be a virtual call. The Rules Committee will set the agenda as it moves forward,” Walz said, referring to the committee’s upcoming first meeting.
Walz said virtual voting will not begin until after Aug. 1 and must be completed by Aug. 7 to avoid potential legal problems under Ohio law, which sets that date as the deadline for parties to submit candidate names. November newsletter.
Ohio officials say the deadline has already been fixed thanks to legislation passed earlier this summer.
“The issue is settled in Ohio, and Democratic advocates know it, and they need to stop trying to scapegoat Ohio for their party’s dysfunction,” said Ben Kindel, a Republican representative of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
But Democrats say they don’t trust the Republicans who govern Ohio. They worry about last-minute dirty tricks to try to get Biden off the ballot. LaRose refused to budge when the deadline was first raised as an issue, and he has a track record of being aggressive in arguments with Democrats.
The Ohio law amending the deadline will not go into effect until September 1. So the original August 7 date will still remain on the books, providing a potential opening for litigation when that date comes and goes.
Biden’s ally Democrats point out that Ohio’s secretary of state has previously addressed the issue had to be solved So that Biden can get his name on the ballot in early May, but the legislature in the end it did not pass legislation by the end of May.
“We believe a virtual element is the wisest approach because it provides access to the ballot … and avoids potential risks if the process is delayed,” Walz and his Rules Committee colleague, Bishop Leah Daughtry, wrote in a letter to the DNC. members.
“We know that the Republican Party and its affiliates … plan to present every possible legal challenge to the Democratic Party candidates,” they said. “If the Democratic nominees for President and Vice President are not selected by August 7 and Ohio is not certified, we will likely face litigation over the effectiveness of our filings.”
Democrats have chosen an unusually late date for this year’s convention, which begins on August 19 in Chicago. In the letter, Walz and Daughtry said the timing raises potential conflicts in several other states, such as Washington and Virginia. parties have deadlines to nominate their candidates during the convention window.
The co-chairs of the Rules Committee tried to convince DNC members that they did not want a “rushed virtual voting process” and would use Friday’s meeting to explain why virtual voting was necessary and how it would work, but they did not. clear any rules immediately.
“If Biden had been ahead by 10 points, we would still have done it because we had to deal with the situation in Ohio,” said one Democrat familiar with the Rules Committee process, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “Nothing has changed.”
Democrats, who have doubts about Biden’s physical and political health, accuse the party of using the Ohio issue as an excuse to close the president’s re-nomination.
“There is no legal basis for this unusual and unprecedented action, which will effectively speed up the nomination process by nearly a month,” the draft letter said. Signed by more than 20 House Democrats Circulating on Capitol Hill. “[S]”It’s a terrible idea to inflame debate and prematurely shut down any possible changes to the Democratic ticket through an unnecessary and unprecedented ‘virtual challenge’ in the coming days.”
Activists plan to a demonstration Friday at the DNC headquarters in Washington to protest the virtual ballot vote and push for a new nominee.
Democratic party the rules make it virtually impossible to replace the candidate unless he withdraws.
Biden has firm control over the party apparatus, including the committees that write its rules, typical of whichever party controls the White House.
He won 99% of the pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention during this year’s presidential election. Key party committees and leadership posts are stacked with hand-picked Biden allies, chosen in part for loyalty to the president.