ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Most emails are not significant, but the one that floated to the top of Jimmie William’s inbox on Thursday is one he will never forget.
“I got the ballot, you know some people waited a day or two. I was like, ‘Stop everything!’” he smiled. “I want this to be done now!”
In the spring, D.C. Democratic voters selected Williams as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It is a role seen normally symbolic, until President Biden dropped out of the race.
“This (convention) is so different,” he said. “You’re talking two weeks and we are going (to the convention) with a new presidential candidate and the whole turn around.”
This weekend, to make sure Vice President Kamala Harris is on every state’s November ballot, the DNC held an electronic roll-call Delegate vote. On Thursday, the DNC sent out individual ballots to every single delegate.
“You can only check two things,” Williams said. “You can check Kamala Harris or you can check ‘present.’ Present is: not supporting (her).”
Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker said all 119 of their delegates already voted for Harris.
“The balloting process is open until close of business (Monday), but all of our votes are in so we don’t have to sweat it,” she said.
Republicans have argued this delegate vote takes away from the democratic process.
Swecker, in response, said the delegates were already pledged to a Biden-Harris ticket and were selected by voters.
“Republicans can say what they want,” she added. “They need to go worry about their own party.”
Back in front of the DNC headquarters, Jimmie Williams said he voted days ago. It is not lost on him that his ballot has played a special role in American political lore.
“I printed out my electronic ballot,” he beamed. “I showed my son, I showed my family and said, ‘Let’s frame it. This is history.”