Democratic National Convention falls after Ohio's ballot deadline for November
Ohio AG says Dems may miss deadline to put Biden on ballot: 'They're going to do it by the law'
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost breaks down the deadline requirements for presidential candidates to make the ballot for this November.
President Biden's name could be missing from ballots in one of the nation's key bellwether states this November if Democrats don't play their cards just right.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost told Fox News on Thursday the issue stems from the Democratic National Convention's timing, which takes place after the Buckeye State is required to certify its ballot.
"There's a law that's been in place that applies to all candidates, regardless of the power, the office they're running for or the party they're running for," he said on "Fox & Friends First."
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President Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off in November, with a number of key battleground states predicted to determine the victor. (Photographer: Jacquelyn Martin/AP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"The ballot deadline is 90 days before the election. That's to allow adequate time for the preparation and proofreading of the ballot and to get the machines loaded. That takes time. You don't do it overnight. It's the same rule for everybody. The Democrats scheduled their convention to nominate Joe Biden after that deadline, and that creates a problem."
Commonly considered a bellwether state until the 2020 election cycle, when former President Donald Trump soundly defeated President Biden in the state by eight percentage points, Ohio could further displace the Democrats with the potential challenge in question.
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The timing of this year's Democratic National Convention could hinder President Biden's spot on Ohio's ballot, state Attorney Gen. Dave Yost said. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Yost says the party has plenty of time to get the issue resolved, however.
"Right now, it doesn't look like they're compliant, but, if there's anything that party has, it's a surplus of lawyers," he told co-host Carley Shimkus.
"They've got several months to figure this out. I fully expect them to figure out a way to get their candidate on the ballot. After all, he's one of the two major candidates. He's an incumbent president. But, on my watch, they're going to do it by the law."
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Though Ohio has been put in the spotlight in most recent election cycles, this time around, eyes linger more heavily on states like Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia, among others that may determine the victor.
President Biden narrowly defeated former President Trump in a majority of swing states in 2020, but polls now indicate positive news for Trump.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
