Less than six months before the presidential election, there's a concern that President Joe Biden won't appear on the ballot in Ohio.
That's because under Ohio law, presidential candidates are required to certify their nomination with the secretary of state's office 90 days before an election.
This year, that date falls on Aug. 7, which presents a problem for the Democrat incumbent, given that the party's nominating convention is scheduled for Aug. 19.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Thursday the GOP should "stand for the rule of law" when it comes to the integrity of election laws.
"What Democrats are really looking for is what happened in the last election, where during the COVID time period, civil laws were flexible," Lankford told "The Chris Salcedo Show." "We'll just change it. We'll just alter it the way that we want to be able to do.
"Pennsylvania was the prime example of that, saying, 'I know the law doesn't allow this, but we're going to make some judgment calls on it.' We should just follow the law. Everybody knows what the law is, and you all follow the law. That's the basic rule."
In a letter to Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose outlined the necessary steps for Biden to appear on the state's ballot in November.
"I am left to conclude that the Democratic National Committee must either move up its nominating convention or the Ohio General Assembly must act by May 9, 2024 [90 days before a new law's effective date] to create an exception to this statutory requirement," Paul Disantis, the Secretary of State's legal counsel wrote.
Walters' office confirmed receipt of the letter and the conflict with Ohio state law, she promised the president would appear on the ballot. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday called for a special legislative session next week to address the issue.
Alabama officials found themselves in a comparable situation earlier this month when legislation was passed to ensure Biden will appear on the state's November ballot, echoing accommodations made in 2020 for Donald Trump.
The state House of Representatives voted to approve the legislation 93-0 and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey reportedly signed the measure into law the same day.
"This is a great day in Alabama when, in a bipartisan manner, we passed this legislation to ensure that President Joe Biden gains access to the ballot in Alabama," Democrat state Sen. Merika Coleman, the bill's sponsor, said.
The GOP-controlled Alabama Legislature reportedly passed the bill without a dissenting vote.
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