The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is moving forward with a process to determine the party's presidential nominee by August 7, following President Joe Biden's unexpected exit from the race and endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.
DNC Chair Minyon Moore emphasized that while the situation is unprecedented, the process being undertaken is not. With no candidate having secured a majority of delegates, the DNC is focused on ensuring a fair process.
Prospective candidates must file a formal declaration of candidacy, meet party and legal qualifications for the presidency, and gather at least 300 delegate signatures, with a limit of 50 signatures from any single state.
The deadline for candidates to declare their interest is imminent, with the window closing by the end of this week. The DNC plans to provide delegates with a candidate directory containing names and contact information to facilitate communication between candidates and delegates.
While the DNC aims to have a Democratic nominee selected by August 7, the start date for virtual voting remains undetermined and will hinge on factors such as candidate support from the required 300 delegates. Virtual voting could potentially commence as early as August 1.
To secure the nomination, a candidate must garner the backing of a majority of pledged delegates to the convention, totaling 1,976 out of 3,949 pledged delegates. The convention rules committee is scheduled to vote on the proposed rules on Wednesday.
