DNC to nominate Biden and Harris virtually before convention in Chicago

The Democratic Party plans to nominate President Biden and Vice President Harris virtually before its scheduled convention in late August to meet an Aug. 7 ballot certification deadline in Ohio. This means they will use Zoom instead of meeting in person, even though the convention will still happen as planned. Ohio's Governor called state legislators for a special session to try to change the ballot requirements because time is running out to get Biden on the fall ballot. The Democrats' convention is set for Aug. 19-22, missing the Ohio deadline. To ensure Biden's name on the Ohio ballot, DNC officials will recommend a virtual nomination, similar to what happened in 2020 due to the pandemic. President Joe Biden will be formally nominated through a virtual roll call before the official convention in Chicago in August. This will allow Biden to be on the November ballot in Ohio and reduce disruptions from protesters. The virtual nomination will be similar to the process used in 2020 due to the pandemic. Negotiations are ongoing between lawmakers to address the ballot deadline issue. The DNC's decision to hold a virtual roll call comes after the Ohio legislature failed to pass legislation to extend the deadline. This move resolves a struggle between the Biden campaign and GOP officials in Ohio. The virtual roll call will be held before the convention to meet the Ohio deadline. In the past, states accepted provisional certification or changed deadlines to accommodate late conventions, but Ohio did not accept provisional certification. Holding a virtual roll call is one of the options Democrats considered to ensure Biden's name on the ballot. While Ohio is not a swing state, having Biden on the ballot could impact down-ballot races.