Alabama governor signs bill enshrining Biden on November ballot

Alabama governor signs bill enshrining Biden on November ballot | The Hill

FILE - Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivers her State of the State address, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday, April 21, 2023 announced she replaced her director of early childhood education over the use of a teacher training book, written by a nationally recognized education group, that the Republican governor denounced as teaching “woke concepts — FILE – Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivers her State of the State address, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday, April 21, 2023 announced she replaced her director of early childhood education over the use of a teacher training book, written by a nationally recognized education group, that the Republican governor denounced as teaching “woke concepts” because of language about inclusion and structural racism.(AP Photo/Julie Bennett, File)

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

The Hill has reached out to Ivey’s office for comment, but The Associated Press reported that a spokeswoman said the bill had been signed.

The bill’s singing follows the unanimous approval last week from the Alabama State Senate, after a state elections official warned that Biden may miss the deadline to qualify.

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) sent a letter to the state Democratic Party Chair in April noting that the deadline for certifying candidates to be on the general election ballot is Aug. 15, four days before the Democratic National Convention where Biden will become the party’s nominee.

The state Senate passed a bill 31-0 Tuesday to push back the certification deadline to 74 days before the election. The Alabama Legislature already moved back the deadline in 2020 as a one-time fix to accommodate for both the Democratic and Republican conventions that year.

Members of Alabama’s House of Representatives also unanimously voted for the legislation Thursday, the AP reported.

The Hill has reached out to the Biden-Harris campaign’s spokesperson for comment, but the campaign said in a statement to the AP that Biden will appear on the ballot in all 50 states this fall.

“Election after election, states across the country have acted in line with the bipartisan consensus and taken the necessary steps to ensure the presidential nominees from both parties will be on the ballot,” the Biden campaign said.

The bills sponsor, state Sen. Merika Coleman (D), said it was a “great day in Alabama” when the legislation was passed in a bipartisan manner. The Alabama House Democrats posted online thanking Coleman and House Leader Anthony Daniels for their efforts.

Biden also faces a similar issue in Ohio, where state elections officials said the state Legislature has until Thursday to approve an exemption to the state’s 90-day rule, which sets the ballot deadline at Aug. 7.