Democrats will gather in Chicago for their quadrennial convention, starting Monday. Here’s a recap:
What is this?
National political conventions are vast gatherings of party officials, candidates, and allies. They meet every four years to officially nominate candidates for president and vice president; to adopt the party platform, a list of policy proposals that a majority of party members agree on; and to celebrate and network.
This year, Vice President Kamala Harris was already officially nominated in a virtual roll call earlier this month. The ceremonial roll call is still expected to be part of the convention, with Harris officially accepting the nomination.
When should I get involved?
The convention will be held from Monday, August 19 to Thursday, August 22.
Major news networks and many streaming platforms will broadcast the evening’s events — typically speeches by prominent party members — live. Prime-time programming runs from 6:30 to 11 p.m. ET on Monday and from 7 to 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The exact schedule of prime-time speeches has not been released, but the vice presidential candidate typically accepts the nomination on Wednesday evening, and the presidential candidate’s acceptance speech concludes the convention on Thursday evening.
Former presidents and presidential candidates will also speak frequently.
Throughout the day, delegates and party officials will attend a variety of events and meetings, only some of which will be broadcast or even open to reporters, as the convention also serves as a massive networking event for Democratic politicians, strategists, activists and others.
How can I watch?
Network and cable news stations typically broadcast prime-time programming from start to finish.
National Public Radio will also broadcast much of the convention.
The convention organizers will also live stream the event on multiple platforms, including YouTube, X, and TikTok. A full list of official live streams is available Here.
Where will this year’s convention be held?
Chicago is hosting the Democratic convention for the 12th time, the most of any city.
The evening’s keynote speeches will take place at the United Center, an arena that can accommodate tens of thousands of spectators for professional basketball and hockey games, concerts and other events.
Daytime activities will be more spread out, located at McCormick Place, about 6 miles southeast of the United Center, and in the River North neighborhood, about 2 ½ miles to the northeast.
How many people will be there?
About 5,000 Democratic Party delegates are expected to attend the ceremony, which is formally required to vote to confirm the presidential and vice presidential nominations.
According to estimates, a total of around 50,000 people may take part in the event. City.
Will any celebrities be there?
The 2016 Democratic National Convention — the last in-person Democratic convention since the 2020 version moved online in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic — for nominee Hillary Clinton featured celebrities including singer Katy Perry and screenwriter/actress Lena Dunham.
The Republican National Convention in July featured prime-time performances by musician Kid Rock and professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.
The full list of attendees at this year’s Democratic convention has not yet been released, but that hasn’t stopped some fans of music’s biggest stars. wish will see their favorites at the event.
Where can I find candid, bold, and unbiased coverage of the convention?
Here! And from your state’s editorial office, which you can find on the website this map. States Newsroom will send multiple reporters to cover the convention and will provide in-depth coverage of key events and more.
