All eyes are now on the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) convention following President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw his candidacy for reelection.
Following pressure from within his own party, Mr Biden announced on Sunday that he would be stepping aside to allow another Democrat candidate to take on Republican Donald Trump in November’s election.
The 81-year-old has endorsed his current vice president Kamala Harris, who is now widely expected to become the party’s choice for the vote.
The party’s next steps will be formalised at the Democratic National Convention next month, which will make it a key event in the run-up to the vote.
Here is what it all means.
What is the DNC?
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the strategic office of the party and promotes candidates for elections of all sizes across the US.
It holds a convention every four years to nominate candidates for the presidential elections.
The event is usually a rubber stamping affair with the party’s choice for the ballot having long since been chosen.
However, Mr Biden’s announcement means that in 2024 it will carry more intrigue than usual as to what happens next.
Committee chairman Jaime Harrison, who was elected by party members, has said that there would be no automatic coronation for Mr Biden’s replacement.
“In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward,” he said in a statement.
He added: “This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.“
When is the DNC convention 2024?
The dates of the DNC convention are set for August 19–22.
Chicago will play host for the first time since 1996 when Bill Clinton was put forward.
Why is the DNC important?
While Ms Harris is favoured to get the nod, she has not yet gone through the official channels to appear on the ballot.
Any potential candidate will need to secure the nomination from the around 4,700 Democratic convention delegates.
This includes those pledged to Mr Biden, as well as the elected officials, former presidents, and other party elders known as superdelegates.
To formally nominate the Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2024 election, Democratic Party delegates will need to journey to the convention.
Will the Democrats nominate Joe Biden’s replacement at the DNC convention?
The party will officially choose its presidential candidate at its convention from August 19.
As of Monday, the party has not finalised a road map for how the successor will be announced.
It is also unclear if Ms Harris will face any competition or a vote to appear on the ballot with top Democrats queuing up to endorse her and ruling themselves out.
The VP has wasted no time hoovering up endorsements from top Democrats and has also received huge donations towards her campaign.
But some influential voices in the party such as Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have held back on endorsements, leaving the way open to a possible contested convention.
Nevertheless, the party will be hoping the convention will be a uniting affair and provide the chance for all to get behind one name.
Attention is now beginning to shift to who Ms Harris might choose as a running mate.
