President Joe Biden dropped out of his reelection bid Sunday, leaving Ohio’s delegates free to vote for whomever they wish for as the Democratic nominee.

But more realistically, Democrats will coalesce around a pick in the coming weeks. Biden is backing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democrats’ presidential nominee. Harris would have certain advantages over other contenders, including access to campaign coffers and her name on the primary ballots.

More: Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race and endorses Kamala Harris: Live updates

“Technically, (delegates) are allowed to support whom they wish, but in reality, it’s probably not going to work out that way,” said state Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, the Ohio Democratic Party’s rules guru.

How many delegates does Ohio have?

Democrats have more than 3,900 pledged delegates and 749 automatic delegates, often called superdelegates. Ohio has 127 pledged delegates, who vote for president in the first round, and 16 “superdelegates.”

Biden won 3,896 delegates during the Democratic primaries.

Do Ohio delegates have to vote for Biden?

No. Biden won Ohio’s Democratic presidential nomination on March 19, but delegates are not required to vote for him after he dropped out.

“Biden is out. There might be some people who still decide to vote for Biden, but they are not mandated to vote for anybody,” DeMora said.

More: With Biden out, what does it mean for the ballot in Ohio?

What is an open convention?

An open convention occurs when no candidate has secured the majority of the pledged delegates to win on the first vote. Democrats face that reality now.

Biden’s endorsement of Harris could go a long way for Democrats in Ohio and elsewhere, but other presidential contenders can make their pitch to delegates.

If Harris could coalesce support quickly, Democrats could proceed with a virtual roll call vote they planned, in part, to ensure their pick made the Ohio ballot. But that scenario seems less and less likely.

Democrats told the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau Sunday that they expect to pick a nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago between Aug. 19 and Aug. 22.

Who are Ohio’s Democratic delegates?

Ohio’s delegates range from the party’s top politicians, such as Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and the state’s five Democratic members of Congress, to teachers, union members, high school students and more.

Out of the state’s 143 delegates, at least 90 are attending their first convention, according to the Ohio Democratic Party. More than 80 were picked with district-level elections of fellow Democrats.

The full list of delegates is here.

Jessie Balmert is a political reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.