Alabama governor signs bill enshrining Biden on November ballot

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) reportedly signed a bill Thursday that ensures President Biden will appear on the state’s ballot in November.

The Hill has reached out to Ivey’s office for comment. Associated Press reported A spokesperson said the bill has been signed.

The bill’s salvo comes after the Alabama Senate unanimously approved it last week after state election officials warned Biden might miss a deadline to qualify. I was disappointed.

In April, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) sent a letter to the state Democratic Party chair saying the deadline for certifying candidates to appear on the general election ballot was four days before the Democratic National Convention, when Biden will be inaugurated. He pointed out that it was August 15th. party candidate.

The state Senate on Tuesday passed a bill 31-0 to extend the certification deadline to 74 days before the election. The Alabama Legislature had already moved the deadline to 2020 as a one-time amendment to coincide with both the Democratic and Republican conventions that year.

Alabama’s House of Representatives also voted unanimously in favor of the bill Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

Hill reached out to a spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign, which said in a statement to The Associated Press that Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states this fall.

“Since the election, states across the country have acted in line with bipartisan agreement and taken the necessary steps to ensure presidential candidates of both parties remain on the ballot,” the Biden campaign said.

The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Merika Coleman (D), said the bipartisan passage of the bill was “a great day for Alabama.”alabama house democrats posted online He thanked Mr. Coleman and House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels for their efforts.

Mr. Biden faces a similar problem in Ohio, where election officials said the state Legislature must approve by Thursday an exemption from the state’s 90-day rule that sets voting deadlines to Aug. 7. He said it must be done.