CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention begins Monday, with delegates and officials descending on Chicago after a wild few weeks in which the party switched candidates, capping an already unprecedented campaign year.
With President Joe Biden’s exit from the campaign and Vice President Kamala Harris’ rapid rise to the top of the ticket, Democrats have fundamentally changed the general election battle against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump just months before the first votes.
The campaign redesign has also required changes to the platform that party officials deploy ahead of proceedings in Chicago, as well as physical configurations of signs and other materials in and around the convention hall, according to the Democrats’ new ticket.
Here’s how to follow the action at the DNC:
When is the DNC?
The convention starts on Monday and runs through Thursday, with televised speeches and floor action happening every night in prime time. A full schedule has not been released, but Harris, candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Biden, former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton are expected to speak on the weeknight program.
Which channel carries the contract?
The DNC will stream the proceedings on more than a dozen platforms, including the convention website, YouTube and X. For the first time in convention history, organizers say they will also host a vertical stream via TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. available on mobile devices.
Convention officials say there will be English and Spanish versions, as well as American Sign Language interpretation and an audio description service.
Several network and cable channels have announced a special prime-time program for the convention, in which Harris and others will speak from the hall where the delegates gather.
Other media outlets, both local and national, are streaming what’s happening on the floor. The space itself is closed to the public behind several layers of security, with only representatives, officials, volunteers and the media accessing it.
The DNC has also authorized social media influencers for this year’s convention, which means there may be multiple ways to see the events firsthand with those accounts on different platforms.
Where will the DNC take place?
Democrats gather at the United Center, home to the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Other facilities, such as the McCormick Place Convention Center, host event spaces, including areas where convention officials hold briefings and delegates hold caucuses and other gatherings.
Illinois is a reliably Democratic state in presidential elections, having voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992.
Chicago saw a fierce Democratic floor fight in 1968—a year filled with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s decision not to seek re-election and the assassination of candidate Robert F. Kennedy, which ended with delegates defeating a peace platform that sought to end the peace speech. The Vietnam War. Thousands of anti-war protesters marched into the streets and were attacked by the police.
There is uncertainty over the Democrats’ return to Chicago, where protesters plan to protest the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas — leaving some wondering if a 1968 Redux could be coming. Police say they have gone through extensive de-escalation training in preparation.
Who will be on stage?
Harris is expected to accept his nomination Thursday night, as is tradition. Walz will accept his appointment as his partner on Wednesday night. And Biden will speak on Monday.
Given the unprecedented nature of this campaign year, most of the top candidates are introducing themselves to a national audience. Harris launched his own presidential bid — not Biden’s — just four weeks ago, and picked Walz just two weeks after that.
America has still had more time to get to know Walz before his speech than Trump’s nominee, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, before the Republican convention last month. Trump waited until the opening day of the convention to announce Vance as the nominee in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The DNC on Sunday listed its themes for each of the four days: “For the People,” “A Bold Vision for America’s Future,” “Fighting for Our Freedoms” and “Our Future.” The convention organizers will likely release more detailed information each morning about that evening’s program.
What next?
On September 10, less than three weeks after the DNC ends, Harris and Trump are scheduled to meet on stage for a debate hosted by ABC News.
Walz and Vance also have a debate on Oct. 1, and it’s possible that more presidential and vice presidential debates could be held.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
