Alabama Democratic Party leaders criticized Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen for saying Tuesday that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris may not appear on the state’s ballot in November.
Allen, a Republican, sent a letter to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Alabama Democratic Party on Tuesday, saying they must submit the names of nominated candidates by August 15.
“It has recently come to my attention that the Democratic National Convention is currently scheduled to convene on August 19, 2024, which is after the State of Alabama’s statutory deadline for political parties to provide a certificate of nomination for President and Vice President,” Allen wrote in a letter to Randy Kelley, chair of the Alabama Democratic Party. “If this Office has not received a valid certificate of nomination from the Democratic Party following its convention by the statutory deadline, I will be unable to certify the names of the Democratic Party’s candidates for President and Vice President for ballot preparation for the 2024 general election.”
Allen appeared firm in his stance when asked for additional comment.
“I took an oath to uphold and defend the laws and constitution of my State, and I take that oath very seriously,” he said in an emailed statement Wednesday. “I will administer Alabama elections in accordance with Alabama law and the deadlines provided therein. There are no exceptions to Alabama code section 17-13-41(b). If I do not receive a nomination from the Democratic party that complies with Alabama code section 17-13-41(b), I will not be able to certify the names of the Democratic candidates to appear on the November ballot.”
Democratic Party leaders noted that the office has repeatedly granted exceptions to the rule in the past, most recently in 2020 when the Republican National Convention took place after that year’s deadline.
“It is interesting that it was a very solvable problem when it affected Republicans, and completely baffling and unsolvable problem when it affects only Democrats,” said Tabitha Isner, vice chair of the Alabama Democratic Party.
Kelley acknowledged receiving the letter from Allen.
“Well, that is terrible,” he said.
Allen’s letter states that the parties must certify their candidates 82 days before the election, which this year will be August 15 of this year. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place in Chicago from August 19 to August 22.
Unless some kind of arrangement is made, Allen’s letter said, the president and vice president of the United States will not appear on the state ballot.
Allen’s letter notes that the Republican National Convention will begin on July 15 and end three days later, nearly a month before the deadline. It is customary for the party nominating an incumbent president to hold its convention after the challenger’s party.
Alabama Democratic Party leaders noted that in 2004, 2012 and 2020, state election officials placed candidates’ names on the ballot after the deadline. In 2020, the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature passed a bill to accommodate the start of the RNC after the state deadline that year.
The 2020 DNC took place from Aug. 17 to Aug. 20 of that year. The RNC took place from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27.
“The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee conventions were after the deadline in 2020,” Isner said, adding “it was not a problem in 2020.”
Allen as a state legislator supported efforts to make it more difficult to vote, including a bill banning drop boxes for ballots in 2021. While serving in the Alabama House of Representatives, Allen supported Texas’ effort to overturn Biden’s 2020 wins in four pivotal states.
A Democratic presidential candidate has not won Alabama since 1976. Former President Donald Trump got 62% of the vote in the state in 2020. However, Democratic candidates have repeatedly won Alabama’s Black Belt, including Montgomery, for decades, and have consistently won Jefferson County, the home of Birmingham, since 2008. The regions are all majority-Black.
Update: Story was updated with additional comments from Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen.
