If Biden steps aside in 2024 election, what happens to his delegates?

President Joe Biden will be interviewed on ABC News on Friday, marking his first interview after the first presidential debate on June 27. His rocky performance has fueled speculation about his ability to serve as president, prompting calls from some Democrats for him to step down.

Biden has said he is not planning on leaving the race and surrogates like Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have continued to back him post-debate.

Biden currently has almost 4,000 Democratic delegates, far above the 1,976 delegate votes needed to win the nomination. But what happens if he does step aside?

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Can Biden release delegates?

If Biden stepped aside voluntarily, his "pledged" and "unpledged" delegates would be free to support another candidate of their choice at the DNC.

This would be the most straightforward scenario for the Democratic party to select another candidate, and it would be one with historical roots: at Democratic nominating conventions of the past, presidential hopefuls would go from one state delegation to another to make their case.

More: Biden is running out of time to fix his campaign. What happens next will decide things.

Even if Biden did not release the delegates, they are only obligated to support the winning primary candidate in “good conscience,” meaning they could vote for another candidate with Biden still in the race: an unlikely but technically possible scenario.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: If Biden steps aside, here's how his delegates could move forward