To circumvent a regulation in Ohio, the nomination of US President Biden as the Democratic candidate will take place virtually.
The Democratic Party in the USA plans to virtually nominate US President Joe Biden as its candidate for the upcoming elections, reports the news agency Reuters.
The move is being made to circumvent a specific provision in Ohio’s election law that could have prevented Biden from appearing on the state’s ballot.
Ohio law requires all candidates to be legally certified by August 7, but Biden’s official nomination should not take place until after the start of the Democratic National Convention on August 19. Such a postponement of events is traditionally arranged because the Democrats currently hold the White House.
According to Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Jaime Harrison, virtual roll voting is expected to be completed before the Ohio deadline, although no exact date was given. Harrison stated on Tuesday: “Joe Biden will be on the ballot in Ohio and in all 50 states, and Republicans in Ohio agree.”
The Democrats’ decision to go the virtual route for the nomination comes despite a special legislative session in Ohio taking place this week that Governor Mike DeWine said should resolve the issue. However, Democrats are skeptical about this and have therefore decided to take action themselves.
This is not the first time Democrats have nominated their presidential candidate virtually. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Democratic National Convention was conducted almost entirely remotely, using pre-recorded news and live feeds from across the country for roll call voting.