On Wednesday, Democrats finalized the rules for selecting their presidential nominee, paving the way for the nomination of Kamala Harris. The voting process is expected to commence on August 1, shortly after President Joe Biden endorsed his vice president's candidacy.
Within a remarkably short period, Harris garnered widespread support from Democratic officials, swiftly securing the backing of enough delegates to clinch the nomination in less than 36 hours.
Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison emphasized the importance of transparency, fairness, and efficiency in executing the nomination process. Delegates are granted the freedom to support their preferred candidate, with the party striving to ensure a fair and inclusive voting procedure.
According to the approved rules, presidential hopefuls must declare their candidacies by Saturday and gather signatures from a minimum of 300 delegates by July 30. Electronic ballots will be utilized for voting, with a potential start date of August 1 if only one candidate meets the requirements.
In the event of multiple qualifying candidates, a brief period will be allocated for them to present their cases to delegates. The party aims to finalize the presidential and vice-presidential nominations by August 7 to preempt any ballot access disputes in Ohio.
Superdelegates will cast their votes on the first ballot only if a candidate secures the necessary support from pledged delegates. Following the presidential nomination, the nominee can select a running mate without further remote voting.
The Democratic convention, scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago, will feature ceremonial votes for president and vice president, along with a vote on the party platform. While the presidential vote will be conducted via roll call, the vice-presidential vote is anticipated to be a voice vote.
