Posted at 1:37 PM, May 28, 2024 and last updated 2024-05-28 13:47:30-04

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Democratic Party in Ohio is taking steps to officially nominate President Joe Biden for the state's ballot following a month of controversy, according to Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio. The announcement, to be made by the Biden campaign, reveals their plan to coordinate with the Democrats and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to ensure Biden's placement on the ballot, said Antonio.

To facilitate Biden's nomination, the party will employ a virtual roll call, similar to the method used in 2020 due to the pandemic. This roll call will have to take place before the August 19 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the Ohio deadline of August 7 for ballot certification, as explained by DNC Chair Jaime Harrison. Notably, Ohio Republicans have expressed agreement with Biden's inclusion on the ballot, but Democratic leaders are determined to take action independently.

The move to secure Biden's nomination comes as Ohio lawmakers commenced a special session, called by the governor, to address the ballot issue. Under Ohio law, parties must confirm their presidential candidates 90 days prior to the November election, which falls on August 7. However, Biden will only become the official nominee during the August 19 Democratic National Convention, creating a conflicting timeline.

To understand the sequence of events leading up to this situation, a timeline is provided. On April 5, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose's legal team emailed Statehouse Democratic leadership and Ohio Democratic Party Chairperson Liz Walters, highlighting a potential conflict between the nominating deadline and the DNC event. Subsequently, discussions among lawmakers ensued during the following weeks.

On May 7, a House committee passed a bipartisan ballot fix proposal, known as Senate Bill 92, by completely amending the bill and changing the nomination deadline to August 23. The motivation behind last-minute amendments lies in expediting the legislation process, allowing for greater flexibility in candidate nomination declarations. Speaker of the House, Bob Stephens, emphasized that this fix would benefit both parties, avoiding a recurrence of the issue faced four years ago.

However, on May 8, the Senate passed H.B. 114, which altered the nominating deadline to August 23 for 2024 without establishing a permanent solution. Additionally, the Senate included another bill, S.B. 215, focused on campaign finance regulations to prevent foreign donations to Ohio's ballot-issue campaigns. Though this provision was unacceptable to the Democrats, the bill passed 24-7.

As different versions of bills were being circulated, the House "informally passed" their version, S.B. 92, without putting it up for a vote, while the Senate's bill was ignored. On May 20, the House introduced H.B. 609, a bipartisan bill aiming to prohibit statewide initiative committees from accepting donations from foreign entities or individuals.

In response, the Senate amended H.B. 305, another campaign finance bill, to further address the issue of foreign contributions in state ballot campaigns. As tensions escalated, Governor Mike DeWine called for a special session on May 23, expressing concern over the lack of action to resolve the ballot problem.

The ongoing dispute primarily revolves around differing opinions regarding ballot access and restrictions. House leaders, including Democrats and Republicans, argue that their opposition lies in new restrictions that affect citizens' access to the ballot, rather than the foreign interference ban itself. Speaker of the House Stephens expressed a willingness to compromise to protect citizens' rights to be heard.

The developments surrounding Biden's ballot nomination in Ohio remain a developing story.