On Monday, July 22, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the United States announced that they will be moving forward with an online voting process to determine the presidential nominee. They plan to confirm the nominee on August 7 and then convene the scheduled National Convention on August 19.
The DNC will utilize an electronic voting system for delegates to cast their votes to select the nominee. Candidates must meet three criteria: submit a formal declaration of candidacy to the committee, meet the party and legal qualifications to serve as president, and secure support from at least 300 delegates, with no more than 50 delegates per state.
Chairman Jaime Harrison and other Democratic Party leaders outlined the plan in a conference call with the media but did not mention the name of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Former President Biden has been the Democratic candidate and participated in primary events across states. However, he announced his withdrawal from the race on Sunday, endorsing Kamala Harris instead.
As of late Monday night, Kamala Harris is the only one seeking the nomination, with over 2400 delegate votes already in her favor, securing the party’s nomination.
Before Biden’s withdrawal, the DNC had planned to nominate him through online voting after August 1, just before the National Convention in Chicago starting on August 19, where traditionally the presidential nominee is officially announced.
The initial reason behind these plans was to ensure Biden’s appearance on the ballot in Ohio, which has a deadline for certifying the party’s presidential candidate. However, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine extended the deadline subsequently.
The DNC stated that the presidential nominee does not have to name their running mate before August 7. The final nominee will have the discretion to announce the schedule for revealing the vice presidential candidate.
Before reaching the 300-delegate threshold, potential candidates seeking the nomination will be provided with a delegate list. Officials stated that if more than one candidate meets the threshold, qualified candidates will have “a few days” to present their views to delegates and the public, followed by at least one round of voting to produce the nominee by August 7.
“What I want to assure you is that we are committed to an open and fair nomination process,” said Harrison.
He also mentioned that the Democratic Party will select the presidential nominee on August 7. “We can and will execute the nomination both quickly and fairly,” he added.