Bernie Sanders will be allowed on the District of Columbia’s Democratic primary ballot.
The city council approved a measure Tuesday that tweaked ballot rules after the D.C. Democratic Party missed the deadline by a day to certify Sanders’ candidacy.
Mayor Muriel Bowser will sign the measure, which was approved 11-0, her spokeswoman, LaToya Foster, said.
The move means Sanders can compete against Hillary Clinton for Washington’s 20 pledged delegates and 26 superdelegates on June 14 — the last contest on the Democratic nominating calendar.
“We were confident all along that he would be on the D.C. ballot,” Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said.
Democrats have two ways to qualify for the ballot in Washington: Collect 1,000 petition signatures or pay $2,500 to be added to the ballot. Clinton’s campaign had collected signatures, while Sanders’ paid.
Though Sanders’ campaign turned the check in on time, local Democrats informed the D.C. Board of Elections the next day — after the deadline had passed.
The measure approved on Tuesday would allow local Democrats a 24-hour grace period to notify the Board of Elections when a candidate has met qualification requirements. A Clinton supporter had challenged Sanders’ eligibility to be placed on the ballot.
The timing of the move was key: The Board of Elections is set to meet Wednesday morning to consider the challenge to Sanders’ candidacy, though that challenge is now all but certain to be rejected.