Montgomery, AL – Alabama’s Secretary of State, Wes Allen, has formally notified the Alabama Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) of the necessity to provide a certification of nomination for the President and Vice President of the United States by August 15, 2024. Failure to meet this deadline could result in the absence of Democratic candidates on Alabama’s general election ballot.
In a letter addressed to Randy Kelley, Chair of the Alabama Democratic Party, and also sent to Jaime R. Henderson, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Allen emphasized the importance of adhering to Alabama’s statutory deadline for political parties to submit certificates of nomination. Citing Alabama code section 17-14-31(b), which requires parties to certify their candidates “no later than the 82nd day preceding the day fixed for the election,” Allen highlighted August 15, 2024, as the deadline for the upcoming general election.
Allen pointed out that the Democratic National Convention is currently scheduled to convene on August 19, 2024, just four days after Alabama’s certification deadline. This temporal misalignment raises concerns regarding the ability of the Democratic Party to provide the required certification on time.
The Secretary of State’s office has been informing all parties involved of the certification deadline, with the information being publicly available on the official Secretary of State website since June 2023.
It’s notable that the National Republican Convention is slated to conclude nearly a month before the certification deadline, convening on July 15, 2024, and concluding on July 18, 2024.
Allen clarified that failure to submit the certificates on time would result in the inability to certify Democratic candidates for President and Vice President for the Alabama general election ballot, in accordance with the Code of Alabama.
Wes Allen, serving as Alabama’s 54th Secretary of State, holds the position of Chief Elections Official for the state. Alabama law bestows upon the Secretary of State a multitude of responsibilities, exceeding 1,000 duties.
In light of this notification, the Secretary of State has stated that, the burden rests on the leadership of the Democratic Party at both state and national levels to ensure compliance with the statutory requirements set forth by Alabama law.
For further information on the Secretary of State and his duties, individuals are directed to visit the official website of the Secretary of State at www.sos.alabama.gov.
