> Doesn’t candidates have to be in the primary to be on ballot? <
Not at all. The candidate just has to have the party’s nomination. And since delegates vote on that nomination, you’d want to go through the primary process and get as many delegates as possible.
Delegates must vote for their pledged candidate on the first round of voting (DNC rules). But if no one wins on the first round, delegates can vote for whomever they want. I think the same goes if their candidate drops out.
So a convention can actually nominate a person who never participated in a single primary.
Thats my understanding of the process, anyway.
Thank you. Wild the Democrats can just pick whoever they want.