[Lwvcnmtopics] LWVCNM - Biden's Out What Does This Mean for the Election?

[Starlyn Brown]

Dear League Members,

Like many of you, I've been wondering what happens now that President Bidaen has withdrawn from the Presidental race. I have two sources of information to share with you. The first is from the New Mexico Secretary of State. The second is from League of Women US. I found both informative and they have answers for frequently asked questions.   

>From the NM Secretary of State -

[✅]The ballot deadline has not passed in New Mexico.
[✅]New Mexico follows major party rules for the selection of presidential candidates and, as long as they meet the ballot deadline of August 27, 2024 (per NMSA 1-8-8), whoever is nominated for president at the upcoming Democratic Convention will appear on New Mexico’s General Election ballot.
[✅]President Biden won New Mexico’s Primary Election in June, but that simply means that Democratic voters voted to allocate delegates to the Democratic Convention where the formal nomination will take place. Now that Biden has withdrawn from the race, he will release his pledged delegates who will choose how they wish to allocate their votes at the convention, along with the unpledged delegates.
[✅]Can there be another Primary Election? No. State law does not provide for holding another Primary Election, nor would another Primary Election be necessary under the Democratic Party Rules governing delegates.
[✅]To remove his name from the ballot, President Biden’s campaign will need to file a notarized statement of withdrawal as a candidate to our office (per NMSA 1-10-6(D)) before August 27, 2024.

>From LWVUS - https://www.lwv.org/blog/bidens-out-what-does-mean-election
has answers to the following. I've included a few of the answers. Please go to the webpage for all of the answers. 
 
Has this ever happened before?

Who Will Be the Democratic Nominee?
  Throughout the primaries, Biden won thousands of delegates who were expected to formally nominate him as the Democratic candidate at the Democratic National Convention in August. By stepping down, Biden released these delegates from their obligation to vote for him. 
  On July 22, the Harris campaign announced that Vice President Harris won enough pledged delegate support to secure the party nomination. While delegates at the Democratic National Convention are still free to cast their ballots for the candidate of their choosing, it is expected that Harris will be officially named the Democratic candidate at that time. 

What happens to the Biden campaign funds?

What does this mean for the general election ballots and filing deadlines?
  Every state has a unique filing deadline by which parties must submit their official nominee. Since the Democratic nominee will now be selected at the Democratic National Convention in mid-August, this raises questions for states whose filing deadlines come before the Convention, which include South Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and California. However, these states all have processes in place to accept provisional certifications by their deadline and an official nominee at the end of the Convention.
  Some people believe that New Mexico also poses a challenge since whoever wins the state’s primary is automatically put on the ballot since Biden won this primary in June. However, according to Secretary of State Toulouse Oliver, “New Mexico follows major party rules for the selection of presidential candidates. As long as they meet the ballot deadline of August 27, 2024...whoever is nominated for president at the upcoming Democratic Convention will appear on New Mexico’s General Election ballot."  

Were primary voters who voted for Biden disenfranchised? 
  Millions of voters cast their ballots for the Biden-Harris ticket in the primary elections throughout 2024, and some argue that these voters have been undermined by the change at the top of the ticket. They argue that the people who voted for Biden have been disenfranchised, as their nominee is no longer in the running and delegates will choose a candidate outside of the primaries. 
  If Harris becomes the Democratic candidate, those who voted for Biden will be represented by a candidate who was both on their original ticket (as Vice President) and who shares Biden’s agenda. For now, they can consider their vote protected. 
  If a new candidate is chosen at the Democratic National Committee, this question may become more complicated. 

In League, Starlyn Brown, President LWVCNM