President Joe Biden often uses humor to connect with audiences, and during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, he delivered a self-deprecating joke referencing an incident where he fell off a bike. While speaking at the event, he recounted a conversation with his wife, Jill Biden, about his ability to handle the dinner. Biden’s punchline,
“My wife Jill was worried how I’d do. I told her, ‘don’t worry, it’s just like riding a bike.’ She said ‘that’s what I’m worried about,’” played on the well-known fact that he stumbled while dismounting from a bike in 2022, generating laughter from the audience.
Concerns have been raised that President Joe Biden may be left off the general election ballots in Ohio, Alabama, and Washington due to date conflicts between the Democratic National Committee’s nominating convention and state ballot deadlines.
The DNC’s convention is set to convene in Chicago on August 19, and Washington State’s deadline for ballot certification under state law falls on August 20, which is the day after the convention. This timing conflict raises concerns that there may not be enough time to certify Biden’s nomination for the ballot.
Similarly, officials in Ohio and Alabama have also warned the DNC about potential issues with including Biden on their general election ballots due to the same date conflicts. Both states’ Republican Secretaries of State have indicated that they may enforce state election codes in a manner that could leave Biden off the ballots.
However, there are efforts underway to address the issue. In Washington State, the director of elections has proposed allowing the DNC to submit a provisional certification of nomination no later than August 20. This would allow Biden to remain eligible for the ballot.
Despite the potential for partisan motivations behind these actions, these developments highlight a critical issue regarding the timing of the DNC’s nominating convention and the subsequent ballot deadlines in various states.
