DNC will be held too late for Biden to qualify for Alabama’s general election ballot, Secretary of State Wes Allen says

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April 9, 2024

On Tuesday, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen wrote to notify the Alabama Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee that names submitted past the certification deadline will not appear on the general election ballot in November.

“It has recently come to my attention that the Democratic National Convention is currently scheduled to convene on August 19, 2024, which is after the State of Alabama’s statutory deadline for political parties to provide a certificate of nomination for President and Vice President,” Sec. Allen wrote.

“If this Office has not received a valid certificate of nomination from the Democratic Party following its convention by the statutory deadline, I will be unable to certify the names of the Democratic Party’s candidates for President and Vice President for ballot preparation for the 2024 general election.”

Allen’s letter cites Alabama law stating that parties must certify their candidates “no later than the 82nd day preceding the day fixed for the election.” Because the general election for President and Vice President will be held nationwide on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, the 82nd preceding day would be August 15, 2024, four days before the National Democratic Convention is scheduled to begin.

Meanwhile, the Republican National Convention is being held on July 15, 2024, nearly a month before certifications are due to be submitted.

“If those certificates are not in my office on time, there will be no certification and no appearance on the Alabama general election ballot in accordance with sections 17-13-22 and 17-14-31(a) of the Code of Alabama. With this letter, we are providing ample notification to the leadership of the Democratic Party at the state and national level that the burden of providing those certifications by the statutorily set deadline is a requirement that they must meet,” Allen said.

The general election will be held on November 5, 2024.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270