Democratic Party lays out rules to virtually choose presidential nominee to replace Biden

Democratic leaders on Monday laid out a new process for selecting a presidential nominee to replace President Biden through a virtual process that would conclude by Aug. 7, well before the party’s nominating convention in Chicago next month.

“Working with the Convention Rules Committee, the Democratic Party is prepared to shift the nominating portion of the Convention to an electronic format to ensure that our Democratic nominees for President and Vice President are certified before state ballot access deadlines,” Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison and Rules Committee co-chair Minyon Moore wrote in a memo.

Party officials said they have ruled out an “in-person contested convention” because of ballot access deadlines, potential Republican legal challenges and the need to vet a vice-presidential candidate.

The virtual process will be open to any candidate who gets 300 signatures from elected convention delegates, with no more than 50 from any single state. Candidates would also have to show that they are qualified for the job of president and are qualified members of the Democratic Party.

“As it stands, no candidate has secured a majority of the delegates to the convention,” Moore said.

The dates for that process will be announced on Wednesday when the convention Rules Committee meets virtually. Voting by electronic ballot could be completed as soon as Aug. 1, officials said.

If more than one candidate qualifies, then the voting could be completed as late as Aug. 7. A vice presidential nominee may be selected before or after the Aug. 7 date, depending on the desires of the presidential nominee.

A delegate directory will be provided to potential candidates so that they can begin to seek out votes. Delegates will have the ability to opt into communications from candidates.

So-called superdelegates — party officials who are appointed to a convention role outside the primary system — will not have their votes counted on the first ballot, unless it is clear that one candidate has a majority of the pledged delegate support, officials said.

“We are committed to an open and fair nominating process,” Harrison said.

Nearly all likely elected Democrats have ruled out challenging Vice President Harris for the presidential nomination, after Biden bowed out of the race on Sunday. Harris has been endorsed by Biden, and has taken control of Biden’s campaign apparatus.

Author Marianne Williamson, who challenged Biden in the earlier primaries but garnered little support, has said she has been seeking delegate support.