US election: Why does DNC matter to Democrats and Harris?

With November's US presidential election looming large, the Democratic Party is gearing up for a massive political event: the Democratic National Convention (DNC), set to start on Monday, August 19, and conclude on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Who is coming to the DNC?

The organizers expect to host over 5,000 Democratic delegates, high-profile guests and party officials from various parts of the US. The convention will also have 12,000 volunteers, some 50,000 visitors and thousands of reporters covering the event.

The Democratic Party has yet to release a full list of speakers, but reports indicate that current President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be giving speeches. Kamala Harris is set to give an address on the last day of the party conference.

The conference will be held at two main locations. The United Center will host official proceedings, speeches and high-profile televised events. McCormick Place will be the site of daytime party meetings, consultations and briefings.

What is the purpose of the DNC?

For both Republicans and Democrats, national conventions symbolize the party uniting behind a single candidate for the final stage of the presidential race. Traditionally, delegates from every US state are expected to attend the DNC and publicly proclaim their support in a lengthy roll call, culminating with the candidate accepting the nomination and giving a speech.

This is also how the Republican candidate Donald Trump secured his nomination at his own party's event, the RNC, a month earlier in Milwaukee.

But this year's campaign has been anything but traditional for the Democrats. Due to Biden dropping out of the race last month and some legal concerns regarding the ballot in Ohio, the party has already held a virtual roll call to confirm Harris as its presidential nominee.

Why is the DNC important for the Harris-Walz campaign?

Harris secured the support of 99% of the delegates during the virtual roll call in early August, which saw 4,615 delegates cast their vote. Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have already accepted the Democratic nomination. Therefore, any further display of support from the delegates — which may also include the ceremonial vote count — will be purely symbolic.

Harris is still expected to give a formal acceptance speech and close the nomination process on Thursday. More importantly, the conference will give her and Walz a chance to boost their public profile and define their policies while the party puts the final touches on its 2024 platform.

The party platform serves as a mostly symbolic declaration of party priorities, hammered out through interactions between the party, the public and interest groups. The 80-page draft of the platform was published before Biden dropped out of the race last month, and the final version of the platform will be adopted at the convention.

The draft included raising income tax for billionaires, reducing the cost of child care for poor families, pledges to invest in clean energy and ban assault weapons. It also promised support to a "negotiated two-state solution that ensures Israel's future" and an "immediate and lasting cease-fire" in Gaza while steering clear of suggestions by some factions within the party to cut military aid to Israel.

The conference is also an opportunity to showcase celebrity endorsements. At the rival Republican convention in July, musicians Kid Rock, comedian Russell Brand and wrestling entertainment star Hulk Hogan made appearances.

How are DNC candidates selected?

The DNC, held once every four years, is the culmination of a complex process to select the presidential nominee within the Democratic Party.

Both Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls start the process by debating and campaigning against rivals within their party. Then, events are organized throughout US states and territories to gauge the candidates' level of support.

Most states use primaries, where registered voters must select their favorite from a list in a traditional secret vote. Some states use caucuses, where supporters of rival candidates gather in the same venue, divide into groups and then interact and give short speeches in a bid to win over undecided voters and achieve a consensus. A small number of states use a combination of the two systems.

After the process is completed, each state and territory is assigned a number of delegates based on the previous three election cycles, the number of electoral votes and the date of the primary. The delegates are from the ranks of party activists, local leaders and prominent supporters of the candidate.

Pledged delegates vs. superdelegates: What's the difference?

These delegates are known as "pledged" because they are obligated to vote for the candidate favored by the voters from their communities. According to the nonprofit Ballotopedia, there are just under 3,950 pledged candidates for the Democratic Party in this election cycle. 

Additionally, there are around 750 so-called superdelegates who come from the party itself, usually members of the Democratic National Committee or current and former elected officials. Those delegates can vote for whatever candidate they prefer. This system was established to give the party leaders a larger role in the nomination process.

Many have criticized the Democratic Party for using superdelegates, portraying the system as a way to undermine the will of its voters. Historically, however, the superdelegates have always backed the candidate who won the majority of pledged candidates, which Harris did. 

After the DNC ends on Thursday, August 22, Harris and Walz will have 2 1/2 months left to focus on campaigning against Donald Trump and JD Vance before the presidential election on November 5.

Edited by: Davis VanOpdorp