Democrats eye virtual nomination for embattled Biden

WASHINGTON — US Democrats said on Wednesday they plan a sped-up virtual nomination for President Joe Biden in the first week of August, despite a backlash from some lawmakers who want him to step aside.

Some Democrats have slammed the plans for a remote vote, accusing the party of trying to ram through Biden's candidacy instead of waiting for the party's convention in Chicago starting August 19.

The move comes as a new poll showed that nearly two-thirds of Democrats want the 81-year-old to withdraw after a dismal performance in a television debate against Donald Trump raised concerns about his fitness.

The Democratic National Convention's rules committee will meet Friday to discuss the plans but "no virtual voting will begin before August 1", it said in a letter to members obtained by AFP.

Reports had emerged this week that the process could start as soon as next week.

"We will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process," the letter said.

But party chiefs say they need to carry out the virtual nomination by August 7, which is the deadline set by the Republican-led state of Ohio for nominations to be submitted.

Since that deadline is before the Democratic convention when Biden was meant to be formally nominated, he risked being absent from the ballot in Ohio.

Ohio's governor has signed a law giving Biden more time, but since that law doesn't take effect until September, the whole process remains in doubt, US media said.

"I don't trust them in Ohio to do this," Minnesota's Democratic Governor Tim Walz, the co-chair of the DNC's rules committee, told a news conference on Wednesday.

Ohio is the home state of Trump's new running mate J.D. Vance.

The Biden campaign's Deputy Manager Quentin Fulks urged the media not to be "caught up in process stories" while Republicans are "lying to the American people about virtually every single issue".

But the plan has angered some Democrats, with several lawmakers planning to sign a letter against it, according to US media.

Around 20 House Democrats have publicly called for Biden to step aside, and discord has surged again after a brief pause following an assassination attempt against Trump.

A poll by the Associated Press and NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research said on Wednesday that 65 per cent of Democrats want him to pull out.