President Joe Biden’s decision to end his candidacy has a different meaning in different states, because each state has its own rules when it comes to general election ballots.
Washington’s own state law requires presidential candidates to be certified for the November ballot by Aug. 20 this year — during the middle of the Democratic National Convention taking place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
It’s not clear what role the Washington delegates will play, and Democratic Party officials are sorting out whether to go ahead with plans for a “virtual roll call” nomination vote that would take place before the convention out of concerns for ballot deadlines in certain states.
Prior to Biden’s exit from the race Sunday, Washington election officials said they would accept a letter from the DNC attesting that Biden was their candidate.
The Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Sunday it would still accept a letter from the Democratic National Committee by Aug. 20 attesting to their party’s nominee.
Accepting a provisional certification is not unprecedented.
In 2020, Washington accepted such certifications on behalf of former President Donald Trump and Biden from the Republican and Democratic parties, Derrick Nunnally, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, previously said.
The Washington ballot deadline wasn’t an issue this time around for Republicans. Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination at their convention Thursday in Milwaukee.
Earlier this year, a judge in Washington rejected an effort by Kitsap County residents to exclude Trump from the August primary ballot due to his role in stoking the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and attempting to halt the peaceful transfer of power.
