The Democratic Party's Virtual Vote for a New Nominee

Who gets to vote?

The nearly 4,000 pledged delegates allocated during the Democratic primary process will be voting on the nomination.

Do Biden's delegates automatically go to Harris?

The vast majority of the party's delegates were pledged to President Biden before he dropped out and endorsed Harris. These delegates weren't automatically assigned to Harris, but within 48 hours of her campaign launch, an overwhelming majority said they would back her.

Is anyone challenging Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination?

It's unlikely that a challenger will meet the threshold to contest Harris' nomination. No notable Democrats have stepped forward to challenge her, and she has already won endorsements from over 3,000 of the 4,000 pledged delegates. The number of delegate votes she would need to secure the nomination is 1,976.

How will the DNC's virtual roll call work?

The committee's rules established that if it's just Harris who qualifies, the party would hold a roll call vote virtually as soon as Aug. 1, and not in person at its mid-August convention in Chicago. Delegates will be notified at least 24 hours before the roll call vote and will vote through an online platform run by the DNC.

Will Harris and her running mate be nominated at the same time?

While the DNC has said that option is possible, the vice presidential candidate does not have to be nominated at the same time as the presidential nominee. Harris must pick a running mate by Aug. 7 to comply with Ohio's current ballot deadline.

Why is the DNC holding an early virtual roll call vote before the convention?

The DNC made a push for a virtual process because of Ohio's Aug. 7 deadline for major parties to submit the names of their certified candidates for the November ballot. The DNC and members say the possibility of legal challenges by other outside groups creates unnecessary risk.