In a development that keeps Arizona's election process firmly on its established tracks, President Joe Biden's recent announcement to forgo a reelection bid is set to leave the state's ballot preparations unchanged. According to an interview with Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes provided to AZPM, the primary function of the presidential preference election held in March, which saw Democratic voters choosing Biden in large numbers, was not to nominate a presidential candidate but to select delegates committed to him for the Democratic National Convention.
Despite the shake-up at the executive level with Biden's decision, the intricate dance of delegate selection and elector nominations continues unaffected. Fontes explained, "So in a nutshell, the presidential preference election is about delegates to a convention. It's not about nominating the candidate. That happens at the Convention itself." In other words, while Biden’s stepping aside was unexpected, those casting their votes in March were indirectly advocating for the policy and visionary ideals inhered in the Biden campaign, rather than tethering their choice to a single individual.
The Arizona Democratic Party faces an upcoming deadline to name its electors by August 9, following the state's rules. These electors are pledged to support the nominee ultimately chosen by the DNC delegates, should the Democratic Party prevail in Arizona come November. The DNC delegates, tasked with the formal nomination, cast their votes later in the month, running slightly asynchronous with the state's schedule. "Which means the electors for the Democratic Party won’t know exactly who their nominee is until the end of the convention," Fontes articulated, highlighting a quirk of the electoral process in the state.
Fontes also added that this sequence of events, while potentially perplexing to some, is entirely permissible under Arizona law. "It sounds a little Byzantine and a little wonky, but that's how our system works," Fontes said, underscoring the complexities of the electoral framework. When the general population ballots, they will list both the presidential and vice presidential candidates and the slate of electors named by the state party, each having been selected with the foresight that they will uphold the decision of the DNC delegates, irrespective of last-minute changes in presidential contenders.
