United States President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid and supported Vice President Kamala Harris.
Despite Biden’s support, it remains unclear whether Harris will be the nominee or what process the party will take to select an alternative.
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.
Does Kamala Harris automatically become nominated?
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Kamala Harris was the first woman to hold the vice presidency of the United States Credit: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
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US Vice President Kamala Harris Credit: 08/10/2021REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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Kamala Harris, US Vice President Credit: Getty Images
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Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
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Joe Biden alongside his vice-president Kamala Harris Credit: Reproduction/Twitter @joebiden (11.Aug.2020)
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US Vice President Kamala Harris Credit: Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters (12.Aug.2020)
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Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Delaware Credit: Photo: Carlos Barria – August 13, 2020 / Reuters
No. Although Biden has already endorsed his vice president for the nomination, there is no succession protocol for the presidential ticket in the same way as there is for the position.
Harris will have to win a convention majority, just like anyone else.
What is a “virtual call”?
Democrats are in the process of putting together a system to conduct their presidential nomination vote remotely ahead of the party convention next month.
Under a plan presented on Friday (19), delegates would receive a 24-hour notice before voting began, and voting would take place via digital ballots emailed to delegates.
However, the party took no action to approve the plan at Friday’s meeting. It remains unclear whether the party will maintain the remote voting plan or scrap it and allow formal voting to take place on the convention floor.
How do other candidates enter the race?
Under party rules, candidates must meet certain requirements for their names to be placed in the nomination to be the party’s presidential candidate.
They must gather hundreds of delegate signatures (at least 300 but no more than 600) from multiple states.
Candidates must also meet a series of requirements set out in party rules, including that they be a “bona fide Democrat” and that they have “established substantial support for their nomination as the Democratic candidate” for president.
While this determination must be made by the chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the party has not yet released further details on how eligible candidates would be determined.
What are delegates?
There are two separate sets of delegates.
There are 3,949 pledged delegates.
These are delegates who were selected through various state processes. About 99% of them have committed to voting for Biden, based on his performance in primaries and caucuses across the country. Individuals who pledged to vote for Biden were also endorsed by his campaign.
Approximately 750 (747 as of the latest word from the DNC – this number could change) are automatic delegates.
Also known as “superdelegates,” these are individuals who serve as delegates by virtue of another position they hold or have held. These delegates are free to vote for the candidate of their choice, but under normal circumstances they cannot participate in the first vote if their votes could impact the results of the nomination (it is not exactly clear whether they will be able to participate in this first vote in this case).
Are Democratic delegates required to vote for the candidate who beat them?
No. Under Democratic party rules, pledged delegates “shall, in good conscience, reflect the feelings of those who elected them.”
However, candidates’ right to review means that delegates can be expected to be loyal to the candidate to whom they were pledged.
But now that Biden is no longer a candidate, his delegates are free to vote for whoever they want. He does not need to formally “release” his delegates.
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