Allen tells Democratic Party that names submitted past the certification deadline will not appear on November ballot

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has notified the Democratic Party that an important deadline is approaching that affects getting candidates on the November ballot.

Allen says he notified both the Alabama Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee via letter that they must provide a certification of nomination for President and Vice President no later than August 15, 2024, to appear on Alabama’s general election ballot on November 5.

“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.”

A copy of the letter was also sent to Jaime R. Harrison, Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Allen’s letter cites Alabama code section 17-14-31(b), which states that the parties must certify their candidates “no later than the 82nd day preceding the day fixed for the election.” Because the general election for President and Vice President will be held nationwide on Tuesday, November 5, the 82nd preceding day would be August 15, 2024, four days before the National Democratic Convention is scheduled to begin.

Allen says the certification deadline has appeared on the official Secretary of State website since June of 2023.

The National Republican Convention is scheduled for July, well before the deadline.

Allen said, “With this letter, we are providing ample notification to the leadership of the Democratic Party at the state and national level that the burden of providing those certifications by the statutorily set deadline is a requirement that they must meet.”

Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley released this statement: 

“The Alabama Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee are in discussions regarding a resolution ensuring President Biden’s ballot access. While this  issue with convention dates has occurred many times in the past, notably with the  Alabama GOP in 2004, 2012, and 2020, it appears to only be a problem this year now that the Democrats’ convention is behind the deadline. 

Wes Allen was very eager sign on to an amicus brief to the Supreme Court and engage in the television talk show circuit regarding President Trump’s removal from the Colorado ballot yet he wishes to engage in partisan gamesmanship when it comes to President Biden’s ballot access in Alabama.  

Rest assured that we are scrutinizing every possible pathway so that President Biden can be certified and on the ballot on Election Day.”