Here's what happens to Alabama ballots after presidential ticket shakeup

State officials confirmed Monday that Alabama ballots for the general election will have the Democratic candidates for president and vice-president listed as chosen at the party's convention next month.

President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the race, and he has thrown his support to Vice-President Kamala Harris to lead the ticket. Harris has not selected her running mate.

The Democratic party convention is set for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago. The presidential ticket is expected to be elected by delegates during the convention. The general election is set for Nov. 5.

“The (Alabama) Secretary of State’s office will certify lawfully submitted party certifications on Aug. 28,” said Laney Rawls, director of communications for the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. "Ballots will begin being printed after that certification date. Absentee ballots will be available starting Sept. 11.”

Measures had already been taken to have the Democratic nominees on the ballot after Secretary of State Wes Allen told national Democrat Party leaders earlier this year that Biden’s name may not appear on the ballot due to timing issues.

This spring, the Alabama Legislature passed a bill into law that pushed the deadline back so certification of candidates would occur after the Democrat convention.

Biden won the party primary elections. But the ticket isn’t cemented until the convention.

The Republican Party held its national convention July 15-19, when Donald Trump was nominated as the presidential candidate and J.D. Vance was elected as the candidate for vice-president.

If any candidate withdraws from the election after the certification deadline, their names will appear on the ballot.

For those who may be wondering how many ballots will be printed in Alabama for the general election, that’s decided at the county level. Each county’s chief election official, usually the probate judge of the county, decides how many ballots to order for each of their precincts, Rawls said.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.