What’s ahead on the US election calendar?
The Democratic national convention will be held in Chicago from today until 22 August.
Chicago previously played host to the convention in 1996, when Bill Clinton was nominated for re-election, and 1968 when Hubert Humphrey was nominated.
The next presidential debate is scheduled for 10 September, with both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump confirmed.
A debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz has been confirmed for 1 October.
‘We can’t just vote’: in Chicago, protesters rally for Gaza and abortion rights
As thousands of Democratic delegates, party officials and elected leaders descend on Chicago for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) a smaller, strident group of protesters have taken to Michigan Avenue ahead of a week that promises several demonstrations.
A protest of up to 1,000 marchers combining support for the Palestinian cause and abortion rights gathered at the iconic corner of Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue in Chicago Sunday evening. The protest is the first of several demonstrations, legally permitted and not, planned for the convention.
Some protesters at the march, organized by groups like Bodies Against Unjust Laws, have come explicitly to “Disrupt the DNC”.
Biden to give possible swan song at Democratic convention amid Gaza protests
Joe Biden will take centre stage for perhaps the last time on Monday night when he addresses the Democratic national convention in Chicago – as the US president faces a backlash over one of his most complex legacies.
Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to converge in the host city to demand that the US end military aid to Israel for its ongoing war in Gaza. Activists have branded Biden “Genocide Joe” and called for the vice-president, Kamala Harris, to change course.
The biggest protest group the Coalition to March on the DNC has planned demonstrations on Monday and Thursday to coincide with Biden and Harris’s speeches. Organisers say they expect at least 20,000 activists to demonstrate, including students who protested against the war on college campuses.
Who is speaking at the convention?
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will both speak at the convention, and Joe Biden is also expected to give an address.
Here is the expected lineup:
Monday, 19 August: Biden will speak on the opening night, along with former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Tuesday, 20 August: Former president Barack Obama will give an address on the second night.
Wednesday, 21 August: Former president Bill Clinton will join Walz on the convention’s third night.
Thursday, 22 August: Harris will close out the fourth night of the convention.
The party will livestream the convention on its Democratic national convention website and on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
The Guardian has a team of reporters in Chicago and will be covering the convention in depth, including live blogs each night.
‘Resurrected’ Democrats look toward 2024 convention with renewed hope
Tens of thousands of Democrats are expected to descend on Chicago this week for their party’s convention, bubbling with a feeling few had anticipated: pure, unconfined joy.
At the end of their four-day fete, when the red, white and blue balloons tumble from the rafters of the United Center, Kamala Harris will have become the first woman of color to accept a major party’s presidential nomination in American history.
The moment will cap a frenzied few weeks for Democrats, following the vice-president’s sudden ascent to the top of the ticket in a development that has transformed the race for the White House and galvanized a party once resigned to a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
“It’s a remarkable turn of events,” said Howard Dean, a former Democratic National Committee chairman and former Vermont governor. “The Democrats have now been resurrected.”
Democrats will hear speeches from party luminaries, leaders and rising stars.
“The story here is simple and it’s one that will resonate with Americans across the country: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for the American people and America’s future — Donald Trump is only fighting for himself,” said Minyon Moore, chair of the convention.
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