DNC to Consider Virtual Role Call to Ensure Ballot Access

This evening, in an effort to ensure partisan Republicans can’t subvert the will of the voters in Ohio, the Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) approved a resolution amending our Call for the 2024 Convention, the first step toward allowing our party to proceed with a virtual roll call vote so that we can ensure President Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. You can watch the full meeting here.

Here’s some background on how we got here:

• There is a law in Ohio that requires the national Convention to nominate its nominee by August 7, 2024 this cycle.
• Ordinarily, when a state’s certification deadline conflicts with a major party Convention date, the state takes routine measures to correct the issue and ensure that both major parties are able to access the state’s general election ballot.
• This was an easily solvable problem that was addressed in Alabama and Washington already this cycle, and as Ohio did in 2012 and 2020.
• Instead, Ohio Republicans played partisan games with Ohio voters’ rights for months, and while they have now passed last-minute legislation adjusting the deadline, we cannot guarantee that this is the last partisan game we’ll see from bad-faith actors in the Ohio GOP before Election Day.
• Furthermore, the legislation goes into effect on August 31, 2024, the day before the new certification deadline, and several weeks after the August 7 deadline. That is a risk we do not want or need to take.
• It is clear that, for the sake of Ohio voters and our democratic process, we need to take this step.

Let’s be clear: While we took this step today to ensure that all Americans – including voters in Ohio – have the opportunity to cast their ballot for the nominee of their choosing this November, our team is still planning powerful in-person Convention programming in Chicago. Thousands of delegates will come together in the United Center each night, where we will uplift the voices of the best of our Democratic coalition and celebrate the historic nomination of President Biden and Vice President Harris, and each day in McCormick Center there will be a hive of Democratic activity, including new, innovative, and inclusive engagement, training, and organizing opportunities. We look forward to seeing all of you in Chicago this August.

The next step in this process is a vote by all DNC members to approve these amendments to the Call. More information is forthcoming.

Through today’s RBC vote and this resolution, we’ve made it clear that bad faith MAGA extremist lawmakers in Ohio or in any other state cannot subvert the will of the voters when so much is on the line in this election.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

In partnership,

Jaime Harrison
DNC Chair