To avoid possible chaos in the general election vote, Democrats have limited time left to decide whether to retain President Biden as the party’s nominee or replace him with a new candidate.
Every presidential election cycle, both the Republican and Democratic parties formally select a candidate to represent their party on the general election ballot based on which candidate receives the most state delegate votes at the party’s national convention.
With just a month until the Democratic National Convention in August, Democrats must decide whether Biden is their best bet to defeat former President Donald Trump in November, or whether concerns about his age and credibility outweigh his strength as a candidate.
But even more tangible than naming Biden the nominee is the printing of millions of ballots with his name on them.
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President Biden stands at the podium during a debate with former President Trump, Thursday, June 27, 2024, at CNN studios in Atlanta. (Kevin D. Lyles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Once a candidate has been nominated at their party’s convention, the selected candidate must be certified by their state’s secretary of state or chief elections officer.
Each state has its own timeframe and process for certifying the names of a party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates before they are printed on the ballot.
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Some states require party candidates to be certified by the Board of Elections by early September, while others allow candidates to be submitted at a later date.
The sign will be displayed during a walk-through of the Democratic National Convention on May 22, 2024 at the United Center. (Brian Casella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
If a candidate is unable to continue the campaign after being selected as the nominee, it is up to the national party to choose a replacement, but difficulties can arise if a new candidate is chosen after states have begun printing ballots with the previous candidate’s name on them.
Given that some states are set to begin certifying names that will appear on the 2024 ballot by early September, Democrats will need to decide whether Biden is their nominee by this date to avoid confusion on the ballot.
According to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, states vary in the dates they send ballots to voters.
Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin mail ballots to voters more than 45 days before the election.
Chester County elections staff process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on November 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming are 45 days away from their scheduled election date.
Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Carolina and Vermont send out ballots 30 to 45 days before the election.
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Additionally, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and Washington give voters the shortest period to vote, 30 days before the election.
