Kamala Harris secures nomination at DNC

True patriotism means fighting to make our nation better for each generation.

Tune in now for day two of the Democratic National Convention. https://t.co/OtZ2A8UJbG

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 21, 2024

Kamala Harris appeared before a crowd in Milwaukee as delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago threw their support behind her candidacy for the presidency. Speaking via a live link after a ceremonial roll call, where delegates from each state and US territories symbolically cast their votes, Harris reaffirmed her commitment to her campaign. She had clinched her party’s nomination earlier in the month through a virtual roll call.

Together, we will fight for the promise of America’s future. Tune in now to watch the first night of the Democratic National Convention. https://t.co/FFbmGUzAOS

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 19, 2024

Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were among the high-profile Democrats rallying support, with Michelle Obama emphasizing the theme of hope making a comeback. Harris also received backing from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who encouraged delegates to support Harris’ historic campaign. In a symbolic gesture, former President Bill Clinton acknowledged the historical significance of Harris’s nomination and reminisced about how their mothers would have viewed this milestone. Harris, accepting the nomination, expressed gratitude towards former Vice President Joe Biden for his leadership and support.

STARTING NOW: Tune in to watch day two of the Democratic National Convention. https://t.co/Bgg0AtUvi4

— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) August 20, 2024

The event marked a significant moment for the Democratic Party as they geared up to challenge the incumbent President in the upcoming election. Once more, with feeling! It’s been nearly two weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris officially won the Democratic presidential nomination in an online vote, marking the first time a nominee was named prior to a party’s convention. The roughly 4,700 delegates tasked with picking the nominee did so from locations around the globe, in relative isolation. Without the usual pomp and fanfare, it wasn’t very festive.

SURPRISE: @KamalaHarris hit the stage to open up the first night of the Democratic National Convention. pic.twitter.com/8fC8WNobxN

— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) August 20, 2024

Democratic party leaders aim to remedy that with a ceremonial vote at the Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday in Chicago. Among the major agenda items will be a re-staging of the official presidential nomination vote from early August, mirroring the festive roll call votes that have been a staple of party conventions for almost 200 years. The Democratic National Committee calls it a “celebratory Roll Call” and said it would give delegates an opportunity to “celebrate the nomination” of Harris, the first woman of color to lead a major party presidential ticket. Delegates will gather on the convention floor on Tuesday to cast their symbolic votes. This marks the third consecutive Democratic convention where the roll call was held on a Tuesday, and the first in-person roll call since 2016. It’s been more than 40 years since there’s been uncertainty regarding the nominee heading into a convention roll call vote. A single candidate has always emerged as the presumptive nominee well before the convention, making the vote a formality. In the 2024 Democratic convention, the vote is particularly ceremonial and non-binding, and thus won’t alter the results of the earlier, official vote to nominate Harris. The official nomination vote in early August resulted in 4,563 votes for Harris and 52 for “present,” with 79 delegates not casting votes.

Harris clinches DNC nomination ceremonially

The ceremonial vote will follow the general format of past in-person convention roll calls, with added stylistic flourishes. Each state delegation will call out its votes from the convention floor, a session presided over by the convention secretary. These presentations often express support for the nominee while showcasing state pride. This year, each presentation will also feature a song representing the delegation, played by a DJ with iconic images from each state and territory displayed on large screens. The convention secretary will call on state delegations to vote mostly in alphabetical order, with a few exceptions. Voting will start with President Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware as a tribute to him and conclude with vice presidential nominee Tim Walz’s home state of Minnesota and Harris’ home state of California. This modified order symbolizes the passing of the torch from Biden to Harris. In past roll call votes, voting often stops temporarily once the nominee surpasses the required votes to mark the occasion with a celebration on the floor. Convention organizers have not specified how or whether delegates will mark the milestone of Harris symbolically clinching the nomination this year. Delegates will cast symbolic votes for both Harris and Walz in the celebratory roll call, a departure from traditional roll calls where the vice presidential nominee is selected through a separate procedure, often on a different day. This year, Harris nominated Walz as her running mate after securing the presidential nomination, and the convention chair declared Walz the nominee in accordance with party rules. Harris and Walz will symbolically accept their nominations in speeches before the full convention. Harris will speak on Thursday, traditionally the final night for the nominee’s address, while Walz will speak on Wednesday night. At the 2020 convention, then-candidate Joe Biden won the nomination through a series of elaborate live remote video presentations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, convention planners have stated that the celebratory roll call will incorporate some live video elements to “showcase the diversity and beauty of America.” DNC officials indicated in May that they would conduct a virtual roll call before the convention to meet Ohio’s general election ballot filing deadline of Aug. 7. Though the Republican-controlled Legislature eventually accommodated the late-summer convention, the law did not take effect until Aug. 31. Concerned that Ohio Republicans could block their candidate from the ballot, DNC officials proceeded with the virtual roll call as planned. This modified process ensures that the Democratic nominee is on the general election ballot and maintains the tradition of the celebratory roll call at the convention.