- Digital voting for Harris' nomination is set to begin Thursday.
U.S. Democrats are expediting the nomination of Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate. The Democratic Party announced that a virtual vote on this matter will begin this Thursday and run until next Monday. Harris, the current Vice President, is the only candidate qualified for this virtual nomination. This move aims to solidify her status as the party's front-runner before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later this month. The convention will then serve more of a ceremonial purpose.
President Joe Biden had previously proposed Harris as his running mate in his withdrawal from the current campaign. Originally, Democrats planned to officially nominate their presidential candidate at the convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22. However, Biden's withdrawal has thrown a wrench into those plans.
However, the party leadership had already been advancing plans to expedite the nomination process and handle it digitally. This is due to deadlines in various states by which parties must confirm their candidates to appear on the ballot.
The state of Ohio is particularly concerning for the party. The deadline there would have expired before the start of the convention in Chicago. However, a law was passed in Ohio extending the deadline beyond the convention. Democrats argue, though, that leading Republicans in Ohio could challenge this, necessitating the nomination of their candidate before the convention.
Harris has not yet announced her choice for Vice Presidential candidate. Potential contenders include governors from various states like Josh Shapiro and Andy Beshear, as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Harris plans to announce her choice in the coming days and then embark on a tour of key battleground states, known as "swing states," with her running mate the following week. CNN reports, citing sources close to Harris, that she plans to hold their first joint campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
Joe Biden, the formerly competing Democratic candidate, officially endorsed Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination following his withdrawal from the race. As the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden's choice for vice president is highly anticipated, with Kamala Harris currently focusing on selecting her running mate.
