The campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris expressed excitement over a significant milestone as Democratic delegates cast their votes online to formally nominate her as the party’s candidate. To celebrate this historic moment, Harris’ campaign planned a call with supporters on Friday afternoon.
The Democratic National Committee has organized a virtual voting process to nominate Harris, after a tumultuous period following President Joe Biden’s decision not to run for reelection. Delegates have started voting through secure email, with the voting period lasting until Monday evening. Harris is yet to select her running mate and is expected to conduct interviews over the upcoming weekend.
The formal nomination is anticipated to be confirmed by Aug. 7, despite the Party’s convention not commencing in Chicago for over two weeks. This accelerated timeline is due to the Aug. 7 deadline to ensure candidates are listed on the Ohio ballot.
Biden endorsed Harris shortly after exiting the race, boosting her to the forefront of the campaign against Republican nominee Donald Trump. Harris faced no significant challenge in securing the nomination, as party regulations required support pledges from a minimum of 300 delegates, with a cap of 50 signatures from each delegation. Delegates wishing to support other candidates besides Harris will be counted as “present.”
Although a state-by-state roll call will take place during the convention, the online voting process renders it ceremonial. The Democratic Party emphasizes the urgency of finalizing the nominee before the start of the convention in Chicago on August 19 to meet Ohio’s ballot access deadlines.
Ohio lawmakers have adjusted the deadline, effective from September 1, but Democratic lawyers caution that delaying the nomination decision could lead to legal disputes.
