The Democratic Party will choose its presidential nominee in an online vote by Aug. 7, Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Monday on a call with reporters. A date for that vote has not yet been set.
His proclamation follows the party’s rapid consolidation behind Vice President Kamala Harris to replace President Biden. Minyon Moore, the chair of the party’s convention, said the nominating process would be “swift, transparent and fair.” She added that a contested nominating fight with voting at the convention was not possible given the constraints of state ballot deadlines.
“An in-person contested convention simply cannot accommodate the potential of a multi-round nomination process for the presidential nominee who then must select a vice-presidential nominee and still meet the ballot access certification requirements in each of the states necessary for the Democratic path to victory,” Ms. Moore said.
Party officials on the call said the nominee for vice president could be in place by Aug. 7 as well, though they said the presidential nominee — which at this point is all but certain to be Ms. Harris — would have input on when the running mate is selected and voted upon by delegates.
Nominating a presidential candidate during a virtual vote weeks before the party’s delegates convene in Chicago on Aug. 19 will relegate the convention to a purely ceremonial function.
Veronica Martinez Roman, the D.N.C.’s party affairs director, said the 4,600 delegates will be asked if they wish to opt in to receive messages from candidates who apply with the party to run for president, though the list of delegates will not be provided to candidates. Candidates can qualify for the ballot if they acquire nominating signatures from at least 300 delegates, with no more than 50 from a single state.
If only one candidate — Ms. Harris, in all likelihood — reaches the 300-signature threshold, the virtual roll call vote could take place as soon as Aug. 1, party officials said. If there are multiple candidates, the voting would take place days later but be completed by Aug. 7.
The rules committee of the convention is scheduled to meet Wednesday to set a date for the party’s roll call vote.
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