According to a letter obtained by The Washington Post, Ohio's secretary of state's office informed Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters that the Democratic National Committee's nominating convention is scheduled too late for Biden to meet the state's certification requirements.

Ohio state law mandates that presidential nominees must be certified at least 90 days prior to the general election. With the election scheduled for November 5th this year, the deadline for certification in Ohio falls on August 7th. However, the Democratic National Convention, where Biden is expected to be nominated for a rematch against former President Donald Trump, is set to convene on August 19th.

The letter, written by Paul DiSantis, chief legal counsel for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), requested Democratic state legislative leaders to provide clarification regarding the party's compliance with Ohio law. As of now, there has been no response from the Ohio Democratic Party leaders who were copied on the letter.

The Biden campaign remains confident that the president will indeed appear on the ballot in Ohio. Josh Marcus-Blank, a spokesperson for the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign, stated that they are closely monitoring the situation and have faith that Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states.

To address the potential issue, LaRose's office suggested two possible solutions. First, they proposed that the Democratic National Committee move up its nominating convention to meet the August 7th deadline. Alternatively, they suggested that the Ohio General Assembly create an exception to the law specifically for the Democratic nominee.

It is unusual for a major party nominee not to appear on the general election ballot in all 50 states. However, in the 2024 Democratic primaries, Biden was not initially on the ballot in New Hampshire. Although Biden ultimately won as a write-in candidate, this situation highlights the importance of meeting individual state requirements.

In 2016, Trump faced a similar situation when he almost missed appearing on the general election ballot in Minnesota due to an error made by the state's Republican Party. Additionally, in December of that same year, Colorado initially disqualified Trump from the state's primary ballots before the Supreme Court overruled the decision unanimously.

Both President Biden and former President Trump have made visits to Ohio this year, highlighting the state's significance with its 17 electoral votes. Biden visited East Palestine in February, addressing both environmental concerns and political disputes stemming from a previous train derailment. Last month, Trump held a rally in Vandalia, where he made controversial remarks about immigrants accused of crimes.

While the Democrats and Ohio election officials work towards a resolution, it remains to be seen whether Biden's name will indeed appear on the Ohio general election ballot this November. The outcome holds significant implications for the Democratic Party's attempts to secure Ohio's electoral votes, as the state voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.