Three months ago, the Legislature scrambled to pass a bill most people thought at the time would ensure that President Joe Biden would be on Alabama ballots for the presidential election.

That was necessary because, as Secretary of State Wes Allen announced, the Democratic National Convention comes too late this year to meet the deadline set in Alabama law for parties to certify their nominees for the general election.

In response, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed the bill without a dissenting vote to change the deadline. The state had accommodated the major parties on the deadline in previous elections, including with President Trump in 2020.

As it turns out, Biden won’t be on the ballot in Alabama after his announcement Sunday that he is withdrawing and throwing his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

But because of the bill passed by the Legislature, the Democratic Party has time to certify Harris or whoever it settles on as the nominee during the convention, which will be Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

Aug. 23 is the new deadline to certify the nominees for president and vice president, according to Secretary of State Allen. Allen will then certify the names on Aug. 28.

Under Alabama law, there is no mechanism available for a political party to withdraw or substitute their presidential candidate after they have been certified to the secretary of state, Allen’s office said in a statement on Sunday.