Free sample of my members-only emails

Last week, Democracy Docket had its first-ever member event — a live virtual Q&A session in which I answered your most pressing voting rights and election questions. As I promised at the end, I want to answer some of the questions we didn’t have time for. There have also been some new questions that have arisen in the last few days.

By far, the most common questions relate to ballot access. Specifically, whether there is any way for Republicans to block Kamala Harris from appearing on the ballot. Following a disastrous roll out of the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee, I have also been asked, in the last few days, if there is any way Republicans can drop JD Vance from the ballot.

So, as I answer your ballot access questions, please break open a coconut and imagine what will be, unburdened by what was.

Can you please explain what happens to the Biden delegates that we voted for in our states' primaries?

— Ruth

Great question! They are still delegates and will participate in the selection of the Democratic nominee for president.

As your question suggests, when you and 14 million others voted for Joe Biden in the Democratic primary, you were, in fact, voting for a slate of delegates chosen by his campaign to support him. Had Biden stayed in the race, an overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ total delegates would have been pledged to support Biden and thus he would have been the nominee of the party.

When Biden dropped out…

To continue reading, upgrade now! You will also receive my full responses to the above questions as well as my answers to:

• Can Republicans sue to stop Harris from being on the ballot? How successful do you think they’ll be?

  
  

• Is there any way Trump can replace JD Vance?

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