Governor of Ohio initiates special session to guarantee Biden’s presence on 2024 ballot

Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Thursday that he will convene a special session of the General Assembly next week to pass legislation ensuring that President Joe Biden is on the state’s 2024 ballot.

DeWine emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Ohio is running out of time to get Joe Biden, the sitting President of the United States, on the ballot this fall. Failing to do so is simply unacceptable. This is ridiculous. This is (an) absurd situation.”

The issue of whether Biden will be on the state ballot has become caught up in a partisan legislative battle to prevent foreign funds from influencing state ballot campaigns, following a previous case where money from a Swiss billionaire played a role in a campaign to support abortion rights in Ohio’s constitution.

Biden is set to be formally nominated at the Democratic National Convention, which falls after Ohio’s ballot deadline of August 7. The convention is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago.

Ohio has had to adjust its certification deadline twice before to accommodate candidates of both parties, and lawmakers were unable to reach a fix by the May 9 deadline set by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

DeWine expressed that time is running out, stating, “I’ve waited. I’ve been patient. And my patience has run out.”

Alabama has recently modified its laws to ensure that Biden will be on the fall ballots, offering similar accommodations as those made for former President Donald Trump four years ago.