Following last month’s Republican Convention, the Democratic National Convention is just around the corner. Once it concludes, there will be 75 days left until the US elections.
Here’s what you need to know about the convention.
When is the Democratic National Convention?
The convention will be held from Monday, August 19 to Thursday, August 22.
Where will the Democratic National Convention be held?
The game will be held in two locations in Chicago: the United Center, an arena on the city’s west side, will host the evening events, which include prime-time programming and speeches aimed at the public. McCormick Place, located in the city’s downtown area near Lake Michigan, will host the daytime events, mainly meetings and official party events.
Who will be at the Democratic National Convention?
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, will be the headliners, and President Joe Biden is also expected to speak. But a full list of speakers and schedule has not yet been released. During their convention, Republicans did not release their speaking schedule until near the beginning of each night’s programming.
Conventions, however, typically feature a wide array of party figures, including governors, members of Congress and other figures who have held elected office. Candidates’ spouses and other family members often speak or make appearances. And non-famous Americans often get their time on stage, too, with interventions in which they talk about personal experiences related to the issues and policies the candidate wants to highlight.
For example, at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Kristen Urquiza gave a highly publicized speech in which she blamed then-President Donald Trump for her father’s death from Covid.
Meanwhile, at this year’s Republican National Convention, Michael Morin spoke critically of the Biden administration’s immigration policies after his sister, Rachel Morin, died while exercising last year; an undocumented immigrant was arrested in the case.
How does the whole event work?
Typically, the convention includes a roll call in which votes are taken one by one to formally select the presidential and vice presidential candidates. That will not happen this time. Harris and Walz were officially nominated through an early roll call vote held online.
This means that the main activity of this year’s convention will be twofold: speeches and confirmation of the party’s platform.
The speeches are what will be seen on prime-time television, and will be the public face of the convention, defending the Harris-Walz ticket and denouncing the Trump-Vance ticket. But during the daylight hours, delegates will finalize the details and adopt a platform — which has already been drafted — that outlines what the Democratic Party stands for.
So Kamala Harris is already the candidate?
Yes. It’s unusual, but the Democratic National Committee decided to hold a virtual roll call vote in early August to avoid potential legal headaches over ballots in Ohio.
And Walz? Is it made official at the convention?
Her nomination is now official. The party determined that whoever the presidential candidate chose as her running mate would be the vice presidential nominee, so there was no need to cast a separate vote for Walz once Harris chose him. The Democratic National Committee certified both candidates earlier this month.
How often will Harris and Walz appear?
It is not known.
Trump made an appearance every day at the Republican National Convention last month, but that’s not the norm. Typically, the vice presidential nominee is the keynote speaker on the third night of the convention and the presidential nominee is the keynote speaker on the final night of the convention. It’s not uncommon for those to be their only major appearances.
Will there be protests?
Yes. The number of protesters at the Republican Convention in Milwaukee was smaller than many expected, but larger crowds are expected for the Democratic Convention.
The biggest protests are likely to take place on the first and last days of the convention, though others have already been announced. A group that brings together left-wing organizations, the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention, organized marches on both days, largely focused on opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza and the support of many Democrats for it.
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Protesters have been battling with Chicago officials over where they will be allowed to march. Activists are seeking a longer route that they say would better accommodate the tens of thousands of people they expect to attend. A federal judge is overseeing the dispute but has not yet made a decision.
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