Is Biden not on the Ohio ballot? Why the DNC was forced to find a workaround

The Democratic National Committee decided on Tuesday to hold a virtual roll call vote ahead of the August convention to ensure President Joe Biden’s name would appear on the ballot in Ohio come November.

The announcement came after weeks of legislative limbo regarding Biden’s ballot status.

So, what’s the deal? Why was Biden at risk of being left off the November ballot in Ohio?

According to Ohio law, candidates must be added to the ballot 90 days before the election. That leaves August 7 as the deadline to certify the ballot in that state.

The Democratic National Convention, when Biden is expected to be selected as the party’s nominee by delegates from around the country, is schedule to take place in Chicago, Illinois, from August 19-22.

Over the last few weeks, lawmakers have unveiled a proposal to move the deadline certification deadline to 74 days before the November election and Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has ordered lawmakers back to the state’s capitol to pass the legislation.

His order came after lawmakers reached an impasse on the bill earlier in May.

A second virtual roll call vote for Biden

Ohio has one of the earliest ballot deadlines in the country, according to the National Association of Secretaries of State. The state legislature voted in 2012 and 2020 to temporarily change the deadline when parties scheduled their conventions too late.

This will be the second time the Democratic National Committee will hold its roll call vote to nominate Biden virtually. The DNC moved its entire convention, previously scheduled to take place in-person in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, online in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contributing: Haley BeMiller for USA TODAY and Laura A. Bischoff for the Columbus Dispatch

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Joe Biden's Ohio ballot conundrum: Could the president be left off?