- Committees in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature introduced legislation Wednesday to ensure President Biden is on the November ballot.
- The bill reflects accommodations made to then-incumbent President Trump in 2020.
- “We want to make sure every Alabamian has the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice,” said Democratic state Sen. Merika Coleman, who sponsored the bill in the chamber.
Alabama lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday that would ensure President Joe Biden appears on the state’s November ballot, something that was done four years ago for then-President Donald Trump. It was a reflection of convenience.
Alabama House and Senate legislative committees have approved identical bills that would extend the state’s certification deadline from 82 days before the general election to 74 days to coincide with the date of the Democratic nominating convention.
The bill moves to a full chamber. Alabama has one of the earliest candidate certification deadlines in the country, creating difficulties for political parties that hold conventions later in the year.
Figures and Dobson face off in high-profile race for Alabama’s new 2nd Congressional District
“We want to make sure every Alabamian has the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice,” Democratic Sen. Merika Coleman, the bill’s sponsor, told the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Biden’s vote access issues have arisen in Alabama and Ohio as the Republican secretary of state warned of a looming certification deadline before the Democratic National Convention, which begins on Aug. 19. The Biden campaign is urging and insisting that both states accept provisional certification. This has been done in past elections as well. Republican election officials have refused, claiming they lack the authority, and plan to strictly adhere to the deadline.
Joe Biden, President of the United States, March 31, 2022. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
Democrats proposed two bills in Alabama, but the bills passed out of committee due to support from Republicans, who hold a lopsided majority in the Alabama Legislature. The bill was passed with little debate. But the two Republicans who spoke in favor of the bill argued that it was a question of fairness.
Republican Rep. Bob Fincher, chairman of the committee that heard the House bill, said “this is not the first time we’ve run into this problem” and that the state has accepted it.
“I’d like to think that if the shoe was on the other side, this issue would be resolved. And I think the people of Alabama have a deep sense of fairness when it comes to politics and elections,” Republican Sen. Sam Givan said. Ta. said at a committee meeting.
President Trump faced the same problem in Alabama in 2020. In 2020, the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature passed a bill that would change the certification deadline for the 2020 election. The bill states the changes were made “to coincide with the dates of the 2020 Republican National Convention.” But lawyers representing the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee said in a letter to Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen that even with the new 2020 voting date, the Republican date remains problematic. Because of that, it was a provisional certification to allow Trump to vote in 2020, he said. deadline.
Mr. Allen maintains that he does not have the authority to accept provisional certification.
Similarly, in Ohio, Republican Attorney General Dave Yost and Secretary of State Frank LaRose rejected a Democratic request to administratively waive the state’s voting deadline by accepting Biden’s “provisional certification.”
Yost’s office told LaRose in a letter Monday that the process is not allowed under Ohio law. LaRose’s office shared that information in a letter to Democratic attorney Don McTeague. Paul DeSantis, chief legal counsel for the city of LaRose, noted that 15 years ago it was Democrats who supported the earliest state voting deadlines in the nation. This year, it falls 90 days before the August 7 general election.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Ohio Senate Democratic Leader Nikki Antonio said she is waiting to hear from the Democratic National Committee on how to proceed. One of the members, state Sen. Bill DiMora, said he is preparing legislation to provide short-term and long-term solutions and will be ready when the time comes.
