(NewsNation) — The Democratic National Committee announced it is moving ahead with a roll call to formally nominate President Joe Biden to be the party’s nominee in 2024, despite continued calls for him to step out of the race.
An exact date for when the virtual roll call will begin has not been set, but the DNC announced it will not happen earlier than Aug. 1.
The Democratic National Convention’s rules committee will meet Friday to discuss the roll call but an exact date is not expected to be set. NewsNation obtained the letter sent to the committee outlining the plan for conducting the roll call.
“We believe a virtual element is the wisest approach because it ensures ballot access in the states that we need to win in November and avoids potential risks if there is a delay in the process,” the letter states. “Having enough time to finalize our nominees and make sure they are on ballots around the country is critical. That is the driving reason for conducting a virtual voting process.”
“On Friday, we will propose a framework for how best to proceed. Next week, we will follow up with a second meeting to consider and adopt specific rules for that purpose,” the letter stated.
The letter added that though the roll call vote won’t take place before Aug. 1, the party is still committed to holding a vote before Aug. 7, which had been the filing deadline to get on Ohio’s presidential ballot.
The Democratic convention runs in person from Aug. 19-22, but the party announced in May that it would hold an early roll call to ensure Biden would qualify for the ballot in Ohio. That state originally had an Aug. 7 deadline but has since changed its rules.
The dispensation was made after a special session in May to create a temporary fix that allowed Biden to appear on the ballot after he received the formal nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
Meanwhile, there is an effort among some House Democrats, led by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif, opposing the virtual roll call. Over 20 Democratic lawmakers have signed a letter, calling on the DNC to delay holding the roll call, saying it rushes the important conversation about whether Biden can beat Trump in November.
Still, Democratic party leaders are committed to moving ahead.
“No matter what may be reported, our goal is not to fast-track. Our goals are to uphold our tradition of transparency, our commitment to an effective nominating process that delivers a nominee on all state ballots, and ultimately to set our nominees on a path to victory in November,” the letter to the DNC added.
