Both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have secured the number of delegates needed to become the presidential candidates for the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, respectively. However, only at the National Convention of each party will they be officially confirmed as such.
These great events are far from being as decisive as they were when they were introduced in the early 19th century. Due to the electoral rules of the moment, at the conventions there was no very exact idea of who had the best chance to be the nominee until the delegates began to vote. Presidential hopefuls did not even attend the convention, because the rule was that these politicians were not to openly campaign for office.
According to Professor Barbara Norrander, from the School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona, at present the conventions are mere symbolic events "of celebration and pomp", not to choose the nominees , since they have already been selected by the voters during primaries and caucuses .
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One of the greatest assets of these events, however, is that they garner national attention and give free space in the media, with the opportunity to expose their platforms and convince undecided or independent voters.
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The conventions also inaugurate the battlefield of the general election, separating it from the time of the primaries.
In this way, they give way to presidential debates and introduce new rules of the game, where the candidates make a turn in their speech to appeal to the general population, not just their voter base.
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Aug. 10, 202000: 35This election year will be the first in which the conventions occur mostly virtually , due to the constant rise in the number of infections and deaths from COVID-19 in the United States, one of the countries that registers the most cases daily in the world.
For this reason, Biden canceled his trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and will not attend the convention in person. He will be voted on and elected by videoconference from Delaware, the state where he lived his childhood and which he represented in the Senate for more than three decades.
And the Republicans? The Republican National Committee (RNC) said in a statement to the press that Trump's nomination as a candidate and "official business" for the Convention will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday, August 24.
However, on Monday the president tweeted that he was considering Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and the White House as possible venues for his acceptance speech.
The Party has said it plans to limit the number of attendees and will not allow the press to enter the headquarters where the vote or Trump's speech will take place.
✔️ What is a national convention and what happens there?
It is a political event where it is formally decided who will be each party's candidate for the presidency and vice-presidency.
Here it is common for the highest representatives of each party to proclaim their support for the candidates, and for the values that will become the agenda during the four years in the White House in case of winning the election.
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Aug. 4, 202001: 34The conventions last four days and the candidate is nominated on the last day, in which he offers his acceptance speech. The rest of the days the different councils and caucuses meet , conferences are given and political figures related to each party make speeches.
✔️ What does it take to be nominated as a candidate?
The applicant must gather the majority of the votes during the primaries process, which translates into a greater number of delegates. This normally happens during the primaries and caucuses .
Subsequently, the nomination is confirmed through the vote of the delegates at the convention.
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To be elected, the candidate must receive half plus one of the total number of delegates in a party. In the case of the Democratic Party, 1,991 are needed (out of a total of 3,979 committed delegates); in the Republican, 1,276 of a total of 2,472.
In the event that none of the candidates for the presidency had reached the majority of delegates (something unusual), what is known as an Open Convention would have to be held, which would give way to several rounds of voting.
✔️ What is a delegate?
The delegates are representatives of the party members in each state.
In primary elections, voters choose their favorite candidate and, depending on the number of supporters, the delegates at stake in each state are distributed, who then travel to the convention to endorse that candidate.
✔️ Are there different types of delegates? Do they matter equally?
Pledged Delegates : Those who were chosen in state primaries and caucuses to vote for a candidate at the convention.
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Aug. 5, 202001: 39Superdelegates : They only exist on the Democratic side and can vote for the candidate of their choice. They are the elite of the party: Congressmen like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, or ex-presidents like Barack Obama.
Superdelegates often make their preference public during primaries and add to the minimum number of delegates required to proclaim the party's nominee.
Uncommitted delegates : in the Republican Party are called unbound Delegates or uncommitted who can vote for whomever they choose at the convention.
✔️ How will delegates cast their vote this year?
On the Democratic side, delegates will cast their votes virtually, by videoconference and on a tailored online platform.
Republicans have said that of their total delegates, only six from each state or territory, or 336, will travel to Charlotte. They will cast their vote in person.
✔️ Is it possible for someone other than Trump and Biden to be confirmed as the presidential candidate?
No, because both Biden and Trump reached the necessary number of delegates during the primaries. The rest of the Democratic and Republican hopefuls came out of the race months ago.
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To reach the Democratic nomination, 1,991 delegates are needed, and according to the count of NBC News, Telemundo's sister network, Biden has 2,639. In the Republican case, 1,276 delegates are needed and the president has 2,330.
✔️ When and where will the Democratic Convention be held?
It will be practically virtual from August 17 to 20, a week before the Republican. It was originally going to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and had already been postponed by the pandemic in July.
✔️ And the Republican Convention?
It will take place August 24-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was previously based in Jacksonville, Florida, but was ruled out by the advance of the pandemic in the southern state, one of the epicenters of the coronavirus.
✔️ How are the cities in which the conventions are held chosen?
Site selection depends on many factors, from logistical to political.
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July 20, 202000: 38They must have adequate facilities such as hotels and meeting rooms, and be willing to contribute substantial amounts of money to make the necessary accommodations. And a key state is often chosen for a victory in the general election.
This year, for example, Democrats chose Wisconsin because it was one of the states where they did not get enough votes in 2016 and cost then-candidate Hillary Clinton the election. It was the first time a Democrat had not won there since 1984.
For Republicans, just as important is North Carolina, as this year it is considered a pendulum state : where Democrats and Republicans have similar levels of support and that can swing from party to party with each election.
✔️ What does it mean for them to be virtual and what changes with COVID-19?
Traditionally these events bring together thousands of party supporters, delegates and leaders. This time there will be a reduced number or none.
The parties will be supported mainly by live transmission over the internet, television and social networks. On the Democratic side there will be no physical events, and on the Republican side it is very likely that the press will not have direct access to these.
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The reduced attendance is a consequence of the recommendations of the main health authorities of the country and the respective cities. The Democratic National Committee said it took the action after consulting directly with a group of epidemiologists.
Joe Biden will deliver his presidential nomination acceptance speech remotely.Getty Images
The Democratic Convention will air only two hours of programming per night, from 9 pm to 11 pm ET.
Political figures who had speeches scheduled, including former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, will do so from a distance.
✔️ How have Biden and Trump approached the new virtual format?
Biden's campaign was the first that, since the start of the pandemic, proposed making it virtual to avoid crowds and mitigate the spread.
Trump, however, insisted on a traditional convention until just a few weeks ago. According to a report in The Washington Post, his advisers were planning a massive event in Charlotte behind the scenes, and they even asked the federal government for protective equipment for attendees. They also asked labs to test thousands of participants each day. The political cost of the decision, however, was going to be very great, so they backed down.
Before going down the same path, Trump publicly mocked Biden for calling for a virtual convention and accused Democratic governors of denying him permission to gather large crowds for political advantage.