Why isn’t Joe Biden on the New Hampshire primary ballot?
The first primaries of the presidential election season will be held in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Why will President Joe Biden’s name not be on the ballot?
New Hampshire is preparing to conduct the first primaries of the presidential election season on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
While the Republican contest to win votes in the state is heating up between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, the Democrats will not have the name of President Joe Biden printed on the ballot, even as he guns for a second term in the White House.
There will be 21 other names that registered Democratic voters can choose from to be the party’s presidential candidate.
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Why isn’t Joe Biden on the New Hampshire primary ballot?
The Democratic National Committee decided to change its rules, and this is what caused the exclusion of the president’s name. The DNC has determined that the first official primary for the Democratic nomination for president will take place in South Carolina, and not in New Hampshire.
The new party regulations would have Democrats in New Hampshire vote instead on Feb. 6, after those in South Carolina cast their ballots on Feb. 3.
As such, the New Hampshire primary does not comply with the new DNC guidelines, which makes the process on Tuesday meaningless, according to the committee. Whoever wins the contest will only have bragging rights, as that person will not end up with delegates to send to the Democratic National Convention in August.
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Why did the DNC change the party’s election cycle?
The national committee’s decision to change the long-established party schedule was based on the intention to have a more diverse set of early voters. The sentiment of states which hold caucuses or primaries first are typically seen to have an important role in setting a trend and providing momentum in the election season.
However, the DNC’s move goes against the state law in New Hampshire, which has held the first primary in the country since 1920. Both Republican and Democrat leaders were not happy with the committee’s decision, and argued that state law requires New Hampshire’s primaries be held at least a week before any other state.
After the Granite State decided to conduct the primaries in January, Biden chose not to have his name included in the ballot, as he had to abide by the rules set by the Democratic National Committee.