MONTGOMERY — A bill ensuring that President Joe Biden will appear on Alabama’s November presidential ballot has been signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey.
Biden will be featured as the Democratic presidential candidate on Alabama's November ballot after a filing deadline put him at risk of exclusion.
In April, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen notified the Alabama Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee that they must provide a certification of nomination for president and vice president of the United States by Aug. 15, 2024, to appear on Alabama's general election ballot.
The legal certification deadline for a candidate to appear on the November 5 Alabama ballot is August 15. The Democratic National Convention does not start until August 19, pointing out that when President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are nominated by their convention, it would be after the Alabama ballot deadline.
In response, lawmakers in both bodies introduced legislation changing the deadline for all presidential candidates in the state.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) carried the bill In the House. Ultimately, Senate Bill 324 (SB324) by State Sen. Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) made its way to final passage.
House Pro-Tem Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) supported the bill, saying it should be passed quickly so Allen’s office can begin preparing and printing ballots.
“This is not going to be a permanent fix because we can’t determine when the two parties set their conventions, but this will fix it for us,” Pringle said. “We’ve had to do it in the past. This is nothing new. We just need to fix this so the President can be on the ballot just like our nominee can be on the ballot.”
State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) asked Daniels why the Senate bill received final passage instead of the House’s, a common complaint among House lawmakers this session. Daniels agreed with Givan that the House prioritized more House bills than vice versa, leading to the Senate receiving credit for passing legislation.
“I posed the same question, Representative, and have yet to receive reasoning. But, for me, being that this [bill] moved through the process yesterday, I just felt the need to get it done.”
The bill passed the House with a vote of 93-0, with eight abstentions and two lawmakers not voting.
After passing the bill, Daniels emphasized to reporters the role House Democrats played in introducing and passing the legislation.
“I think it’s important to note that, in the Alabama Legislature, one person cannot move legislation through both bodies nor is one person coming up with an idea without the support of other colleagues,” Daniels said. “I think it’s important to note that all of the House Democrats were the ones leading the effort to ensure that President Biden had an opportunity to be on the ballot in Alabama.”
“I think it’s also important for constituents out there that are across the state of Alabama to applaud the men and women, House Democrats and Senate Democrats on the effort to ensure that the president have access to the ballot. I did realize that there was some abstentions, which Is unfortunate that we would allow partisanship to play a role in something that’s only fair for the citizens of this state as well as the nation,” he continued.
The bill was transmitted to Ivey on Thursday evening and signed the following day.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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