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Good evening, friends. First, I want to emphasize again that the American people owe President Biden an enormous debt of gratitude for the unparalleled progress he has delivered over the last four years. It is our job now to honor that legacy with a firm commitment to nominating and electing a Democratic president who will defeat Donald Trump. And we will do that through a fair, transparent and expedient process. We as a Party must afford every American the right to vote for the candidate of their choosing in November. That imperative has only become more important since yesterday: immediately after President Biden withdrew from the race, Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, made clear they would file lawsuits to challenge the Democratic nominee’s place on the ballot. That means that President Biden’s withdrawal from the race makes it more important than ever that the Democratic Party convene a virtual roll call to select its new nominee prior to the in-person Convention. This evening, we have laid out a framework for that process that is both grounded in our rules and puts us in the best position possible to be on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and win in November. Attached here is a memo outlining this framework. On Wednesday, the Rules Committee will convene to consider and vote on adopting their rules. We will be in touch over the coming days with additional details about this process for convention delegates following the Rules Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 24 at 2 pm ET, streamed on the DNC’s YouTube channel. As we move forward to formally select our nominee, our values as Democrats remain the same – lowering costs, restoring freedom, protecting the rights of all people, and saving our democracy from the threat of dictatorship. We have and will continue to make this case to the American people. DNC Chair Jaime Harrison DNCC Chair Minyon Moore |
Dear DNC Member,
We wanted to share with you a letter that was sent this morning to the Convention Rules Committee by its Co-Chairs, Bishop Leah D. Daughtry and Governor Tim Walz.
Yours, Jason Secretary Democratic National Committee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
July 17, 2024 Members of the Rules Committee: We look forward to our first meeting on Friday, July 19, as we work to meet our collective responsibility to set the rules for the Democratic National Convention, which will allow us to adopt the strongest national party platform in history and to nominate Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates who will beat Donald Trump this fall. We write to share several key updates about Friday’s agenda and the Rules Committee’s responsibilities moving forward.
Our discussion on Friday of how the Convention will operate will include discussion of a virtual voting element, which will end before the in-person Convention. We will elaborate on the reasoning below as to why a virtual vote is the wisest approach, and will explain how a virtual vote would work. And while we are proposing to again incorporate virtual elements this cycle, we will also share what the Democratic Party’s devoted volunteers, activists, leaders, and elected officials who comprise our 4,700 delegates can expect in-person at our 2024 Convention in Chicago. We believe a virtual element is the wisest approach because it ensures ballot access in the states that we need to win in November and avoids potential risks if there is delay in the process. We know that the Republican Party and its affiliated groups, like Project 2025 author The Heritage Foundation, plan on filing all conceivable legal challenges to the Democratic Party’s nominees. Having enough time to finalize our nominees and make sure they are on ballots around the country is critical. That is the driving reason for conducting a virtual voting process. The Democratic Party has been working to address the shifting landscape of ballot access deadlines for months. Earlier this year, Ohio departed from a longstanding tradition of altering, as a matter of course, its filing deadlines to accommodate major party convention schedules. Ultimately, after a concerted push by Governor DeWine and Ohio Democrats, the Ohio state legislature yielded and enacted legislation to postpone the state’s ballot deadline from August 7 to early September. Because there was insufficient legislative support to have that law take effect immediately, it does not take effect until September 1. Unless Democratic nominees for President and Vice President are selected and certified to Ohio by August 7, we are likely to face litigation about the efficacy of our filings. The challenges we face with ballot access deadlines do not stop with Ohio. Ballot access paperwork must be filed in the State of Washington on August 20, the second day of the in-person Convention. Deadlines in Montana and Oklahoma follow the next day, with California on August 22 and many states, including Virginia, on August 23. These filings involve notarized signatures from the candidates and party officials, and often must be filed in hard copy. We cannot and should not allow these timing complications to jeopardize whether the Democratic ticket appears on the ballot in must-win states. So, on Friday, we will propose a framework for how best to proceed. Next week, we will follow up with a second meeting to consider and adopt specific rules for that purpose. No matter what may be reported, our goal is not to fast-track. Our goals are to uphold our tradition of transparency, our commitment to an effective nominating process that delivers a nominee on all state ballots, and ultimately to set our nominees on a path to victory in November. None of this will be rushed. Unlike our nation’s other major political party, our rules are set in public meetings, anchored in the Party’s charter and its traditions. That will continue in the 2024 cycle, as it must with so much at stake. Sincerely, Bishop Leah D. Daughtry Governor Tim Walz Co-Chairs, Democratic National Convention Rules Committee |
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Dear 2024 Convention Participants, Again, I am delighted to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your role in the 2024 Democratic National Convention. I cannot wait to join you in Chicago in just 36 days where we will come together to rally behind the Biden-Harris nomination, celebrate our achievements over this past term, and chart a path for the future. As we continue to prepare for the convention, we wanted to share a few updates with you. 2024 Convention Standing Committee Meetings: Our Convention Standing Committees will be holding virtual meetings to conduct important business in advance of the convention. I encourage you to participate and watch these sessions on the DNC YouTube page, here. The details are as follows:
Caucus & Council Meeting Schedule During Convention: During the week of the convention, McCormick Place will host a hive of Democratic activity each day, including new, innovative, and inclusive engagement, training, and organizing opportunities. Our DNC Constituency Caucus and Council Meetings will be among the events taking place. We are excited to share the schedule of those meetings so that you can plan your convention week appropriately. |
I know that our Caucus and Council Chairs have worked diligently to build out comprehensive agendas that will engage and inform all participants. I hope you’ll join them for these important meetings. |
Demographic Information
Additionally, my office has developed a platform called Certify to efficiently capture demographic information from all 4,700 delegates.
Collecting demographic information is important to the Democratic Party because it showcases our diversity and ensures that every voice is not only heard, but represented.
In your congratulatory email, you’ll find the login information for the Certify platform. If you have not already done so, please log into certify. Using the email address that you shared with your state party, click on “SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE.”
Click here to access a participant guide with instructions on how to upload your information. If you need additional guidance while logging in or using the Certify system, my office would be happy to help you.
My team and I will follow up with additional information and details in the days before the convention.
Yours,
Jason
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Jason Rae (he/him/his)
Secretary
Democratic National Committee