The Democratic National Committee said Wednesday it will hold virtual roll call votes for presidential and vice presidential nominees weeks before the party’s convention in Chicago next month to avoid potential legal litigation.
After President Biden dropped out of the race, it was suggested that if the Democrats postponed voting on their candidates until their conventions, Republicans could object to Democratic candidates being included on the ballots in many states based on state election laws.
But the prospects for such a challenge appear to be fading.
Candidates must declare their candidacy at the convention by July 27 and demonstrate that they meet the nomination qualifications by July 30. Assuming that VP Harris is the only candidate who declares her candidacy and meets the necessary qualifications and delegate support thresholds, the earliest that delegates can begin voting electronically is August 1.
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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about reproductive rights at Ritchie Coliseum on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Maryland, on June 24, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
In the unlikely event that multiple candidates declare their candidacy and meet the requirements, each candidate will have up to five days to explain their reasons for nomination to delegates before voting begins.
Harris announced she had secured the nomination within 36 hours of Biden dropping out of the race, noting that she had received pledges of support from a majority of the roughly 4,000 delegates.
“I am proud to have garnered the support necessary to be our party’s nominee,” she wrote in a social media post shortly after midnight Tuesday.
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President Biden salutes while boarding Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware on July 23, 2024. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
“As a party, it is our duty to design and implement a fair nominating process that allows delegates to formally express their preferences through their vote and select the official Democratic presidential candidate who will appear at the top of the November ballot,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement.
“At a time when radical Republicans are trying to undermine faith in our institutions, the work of our Rules Committee and the accountability of our delegates as they vote over the next few days demonstrates that our democracy is strong.”
Democratic National Convention Chair Mignon Moore echoed Harrison’s comments in her own statement, saying she was “confident” the announced proceedings were “safe, democratic, and essential to our defense against malicious litigation by Republicans and dark money groups.”
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The exterior of the United Center before a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens on November 25, 2022 in Chicago. (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
“Our convention in Chicago will be a pivotal moment for our party – not only will we bring together our candidates and lay out our bold platform for the next four years, but we will also bring together our delegates to vote on our party’s platform and conduct a ceremonial roll call from each state, a long-cherished tradition of our party.”
The Democratic National Convention will open at the United Center in Chicago on August 19 and run through August 22.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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