Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) has signed a law on Thursday to make sure that President Biden will be on the state's November ballot.
The Hill has contacted Ivey’s office for a statement, but The Associated Press stated that a spokesperson confirmed the approval of the bill.
The approval of the bill comes after the unanimous support last week from the Alabama State Senate, prompted by a warning from a state elections official that Biden might not meet the qualifying deadline.
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) sent a letter to the state Democratic Party Chair in April, noting that the deadline to certify candidates for the general election ballot is Aug. 15, four days before the Democratic National Convention where Biden will be nominated.
The state Senate passed a bill 31-0 on Tuesday to extend the certification deadline to 74 days before the election. The Alabama Legislature had already pushed back the deadline in 2020 to accommodate the Democratic and Republican conventions that year.
Members of Alabama’s House of Representatives also unanimously approved the legislation on Thursday, as reported by the AP.
The Hill has sought comment from the spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign, but the campaign confirmed to the AP that Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states this fall.
“In elections time and again, states nationwide have acted in line with the bipartisan consensus and taken the necessary actions to ensure the presidential nominees from both parties will appear on the ballot,” the Biden campaign stated.
The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Merika Coleman (D), described the passing of the legislation as a “great day in Alabama,” achieved through bipartisan efforts. The Alabama House Democrats expressed their gratitude online to Coleman and House Leader Anthony Daniels for their contributions.
Biden is also facing a similar challenge in Ohio, where state election officials mentioned that the state legislature has until Thursday to approve an exemption to the state’s 90-day rule, which sets the ballot deadline at Aug. 7.
