Last month, we looked at the situation in Alabama, where a Democratic scheduling snafu set the stage for President Joe Biden possibly not being able to appear on the ballot in November. As with some other states, Alabama’s election laws require each party to submit the name of their candidate by a particular date, but the meeting of the DNC to officially declare Biden as their candidate will fall after that deadline. The state legislature had the right to declare an exemption to avoid the problem, but they were under no obligation to do so. Last night the matter was resolved. The Republican-dominated state legislature voted overwhelmingly to suspend the rule and allow Biden to appear on the presidential election ballot. But why would they do that? There are two competing explanations which we’ll explore below. (Associated Press)
Alabama officials on Thursday approved legislation to ensure President Joe Biden will appear on the state’s November ballot, mirroring accommodations the state made four years ago for then-President Donald Trump.
The House of Representatives voted 93-0 for the legislation. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill into law the same day, a spokeswoman said.
“This is a great day in Alabama when in a bipartisan manner, we passed this legislation to ensure that President Joe Biden gains access to the ballot in Alabama,” Democratic state Sen. Merika Coleman, the bill’s sponsor, said. The Republican-dominated Alabama Legislature approved the bill without a dissenting vote.
The vote in the state House was unanimous and Alabama’s Republican Governor signed the bill immediately. At least in Alabama, the matter is settled unless Biden drops out or becomes otherwise unavailable between now and the convention. Should that happen, we will be in uncharted waters, but for the time being it seems that Alabama voters will be facing a repeat of the 2020 election. But why is the GOP being so accommodating in helping the Democrats?
One possible explanation is that Alabama Republicans are looking to draw a distinction between themselves and the Democrats. Leftists are currently working to keep the Republican candidate (Donald Trump) off the ballot in multiple states. They are simultaneously laboring to keep him off the campaign trail by tying him up in court four days per week. If they can manage to have him thrown in jail they will be thrilled to do so. Meanwhile, the Alabama GOP is working overtime to ensure Joe Biden can appear on the ballot. Which party looks like it’s trying to “preserve democracy” and ensure free, open elections?
That’s the positive public relations explanation, but there could be a more cynical reason hiding in the background. Joe Biden’s approval rating is currently stuck in the 30s, making him the least popular president at this stage of his term in modern history. Why wouldn’t you want him on the ballot, particularly in a state like Alabama? If they managed to keep him off, the Democrats might figure out some sleight of hand to put someone else on there who could possibly have a chance of winning. In 2020, Trump beat Biden by almost thirty points in the Yellowhammer State and that’s not expected to change this time.
By doing this, the GOP virtually ensures that Alabama’s nine electoral votes remain in Trump’s column. If they don’t, it doesn’t matter whether they go to Joe Biden, RFK, or anyone else. Any other result just puts Donald Trump that much further from the finish line. By rolling out the red carpet for Joe Biden, the Alabama GOP gets to look like the reasonable ones while their opponents are attempting to engage in election interference. It’s really a win-win situation for the Republicans, so we shouldn’t be surprised by this development. If Biden is in danger of failing to make the ballot in any other red states, they should follow Alabama’s lead in this.