After President Biden announced that he would not be seeking reelection in 2024, the Democratic Party immediately began to look towards the future. With no official nominee yet, Vice President Kamala Harris has emerged as a frontrunner, receiving necessary delegate support and endorsements from high-profile Democrats, including Mr. Biden himself. In her first statement following Biden’s announcement, Harris expressed her intention to earn and win the nomination.
As the Democratic Party prepares for the upcoming presidential race, key dates have been set for important events. In early August, the DNC Rules Committee met virtually to pass new rules indicating that the party will select its new nominee in a virtual roll call as soon as August 1st. Additionally, the committee established that the party’s candidate must select a running mate by August 7th, which coincides with Ohio’s current ballot deadline. The virtual roll call will allow a candidate to officially secure the nomination before the in-person Democratic National Convention, a process that has been in the works since May when Democrats were planning a virtual vote to nominate Mr. Biden.
To appear on the virtual roll call ballot, Harris, along with any other Democratic candidates interested in becoming the party’s nominee, must file paperwork with the DNC and obtain digital signatures from at least 300 delegates, with no more than 50 from a single state, by July 30th. If Harris is the only candidate to qualify, the roll call vote will take place virtually on August 1st. However, if any other Democratic challengers qualify, the vote will be delayed until August 3rd. If Harris receives a majority of the pledged delegates during the roll call vote, she will become the Democratic nominee before the convention.
In the event that the virtual roll call does not occur, an open convention would take place, where candidates would have to persuade delegates to support them in order to secure the nomination at the DNC. David Becker, a CBS News contributor and the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, stated that as long as Democrats have a nominee before the end of August, they will meet all the legal requirements for every state. States have varying deadlines for candidates to qualify and be placed on the ballot, but the deadline is typically in late August nationwide.
CBS News has been tracking the number of delegates supporting Harris, and by Tuesday morning, enough delegates had pledged their support for her to clinch the nomination. With the race heating up and the Democratic Party gearing up for the upcoming election, all eyes are on Vice President Kamala Harris as she vies for the party’s nomination. As the process unfolds, it remains to be seen who will ultimately emerge as the Democratic candidate for the 2024 presidential race.
