State Rep. Anthony Daniels and State Sen. Merika Coleman filed companion bills on Thursday in response to Secretary of State Wes Allen’s warning to state and national Democratic party officials about a significant blindside in the process by which his office legally certifies candidates to appear on the ballot.
Alabama’s deadline to certify is August 15, 2024. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin August 19, 2024.
“The people of Alabama should have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice and to see their party’s candidate on the ballot, regardless of their political affiliation,” State Sen. Coleman (D-Birmingham) said. “Oversights and scheduling conflicts have happened before and there is precedent for correcting this quickly just as the Republicans have done several times previously.”
As previously reported, in 2020, the Republican National Committee submitted a provisional certification to the Alabama Secretary of State. Separately, Alabama lawmakers passed legislation to ensure a one-time adjustment would “accommodate the dates of the 2020 Republican National Convention,” according to the bill.
Coleman and Daniels’ legislation would revise deadlines in a similar fashion.
“For the November 5, 2024, general election, certificates of nomination must be filed by August 15, 2024,” the bill reads. “The Democratic National Committee is scheduled to hold its national convention after the August 15, 2024 deadline. This bill would require political parties to certify candidates 74 days, rather than 82 days, before an election.”
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) said on Thursday, “This is fundamentally about fairness and giving the voters of Alabama a choice. The Alabama Legislature has the ability to grant provisional ballot access certification prior to the conclusion of presidential nominating conventions. Simply put, this is the right thing to do for Alabama voters.”
Secretary of State Wes Allen said he will not certify the names of the Democratic Party’s candidates for president and vice president once the deadline passes, which he argues, would be in violation of the law.
Thursday is Day 21 of the 2024 state legislative session. With less than ten days remaining, lawmakers are on the clock to get the bills passed.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
