President Joe Biden has maintained that he will push ahead with his presidential campaign after his debate performance has concerned Democrats about his viability against former President Donald Trump.
Many Democrats have rallied around the president and continue to support him, but a small group of party members have called on him to step aside so that Vice President Kamala Harris or someone else can lead the ticket in November.
These conversations are happening quickly given the timeline and how far out the election is from early July. The Democratic National Convention will be in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 19-22, and the party will choose its nominee. Biden has said he wants that to be him, despite the growing concerns about whether he is mentally capable of handling the rigors of the presidency.
Should he decide to step aside, however, he has to do so before it’s too late for states to adjust their ballots. Here are some of the key deadlines for battleground states, according to the Daily Mail.
Arizona: The state will begin mailing out early ballots to voters on Oct. 9, meaning names need to be submitted before then for preparation purposes, though officials will get those names following both party’s conventions this summer.
Georgia: The deadline to provide information for the general election ballot is on Aug. 9, while Sept. 17 is the first day that registrars can start mailing out absentee ballots.
Maryland: The Maryland State Board of Elections has a Sept. 2 deadline to certify the ballots.
Michigan: County clerks must have absentee ballots ready for delivery to local clerks for the general election by Sept. 21. They will then be sent to voters by Sept. 26.
Pennsylvania: A candidate seeking to be removed from the ballot must do so by Aug. 12, which is just several days before the Democratic National Committee’s convention. The Keystone State’s secretary of commonwealth has until Aug. 27 to transmit the names of candidates to be on the general election ballot.
Virginia: The presidential ballot must be printed 45 days before Election Day, meaning the deadline this election cycle is on Sept. 21.
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Wisconsin: Municipal clerks in the state have to send out absentee ballots by Sept. 19. The Republican National Committee is hosting its convention in Milwaukee in just over a week.
In 2016, Trump won Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, but all five flipped blue in 2020 and went for Biden.
