Biden Backs Harris for President: What Could Unfold Next?

This article was originally published by The 19th.

In an unexpected turn of events, President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race and officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, just three and a half months before Election Day on November 5. The move, while rare, is not without historical precedent and does not spell disaster for the election process, according to experts.

“A major party’s presumptive nominee stepping down months before Election Day is not an ordinary event, but it is also not a crisis,” stated Trevor Potter, president of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center and a former commissioner of the Federal Election Commission.

Biden’s departure from the race means he is releasing his delegates before he was formally nominated, freeing them to support another candidate. Democratic primary voters had selected these delegates to vote at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). With Biden out, his 3,896 delegates, more than enough to secure the nomination, are now up for grabs. A candidate needs 1,976 delegates to become the Democratic nominee.

In the midst of these developments, pro-Palestinian activists in multiple states had urged Democrats to vote “uncommitted” in the primary ballots to protest Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, leaving 36 delegates uncommitted.

Superdelegates—elected leaders and party officials who attend the convention without any initial candidate commitment—can vote on subsequent ballots if no candidate secures a majority on the first ballot due to rule changes made after the 2016 election.

“Democratic Party rules will govern the process of selecting a new nominee, as well as the management of the funds currently held by the Biden-Harris campaign,” Potter affirmed.

Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, announced that the Party would communicate the next steps to the public promptly. He emphasized the importance of maintaining unity and following established procedures to nominate a candidate capable of defeating Donald Trump in November.

The National Task Force on Election Crises reassured Americans that the electoral system is equipped to handle this situation within the framework of existing rules, ensuring a free and fair election.

Previously, Democratic officials were considering a virtual roll call to formally nominate Biden before the DNC in Chicago, scheduled for August 19-22. Now it remains to be seen whether this approach will be used to select a new nominee or if the decision will be made during the in-person convention.

Vice President Harris, now endorsed by Biden, is set to take over the Biden campaign’s infrastructure and financial resources. As they share a campaign committee, Harris and her running mate can utilize the existing campaign funds for the general election.

Harris and any contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination will soon need to select running mates. These choices will also require formal nomination by Democratic delegates.

Voters, including military and overseas personnel, will start receiving ballots in early fall. The National Task Force noted that state ballot access laws will not impede the Democratic Party’s ability to nominate new candidates for both presidential and vice-presidential positions.

“States have not yet printed ballots for the general election. State laws provide for the candidate chosen by the Democratic Party, whether the same individual from the primaries or not, to be listed on ballots this November,” the organization emphasized.