WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris has officially qualified to compete for the Democratic presidential nomination, as confirmed by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Tuesday.
With no major challengers emerging, the DNC’s announcement clears the way for Harris to pursue the nomination unopposed. This development follows President Joe Biden’s recent exit from the race, creating an opportunity for Harris to take the lead for her party.
The next step involves a vote by the party’s national convention delegates, who will finalize the nominee through a newly introduced online voting system. Voting is set to begin Thursday and will close on August 5. Any votes cast for candidates other than Harris will be recorded as “present.” Recent surveys indicate Harris has garnered strong support among convention delegates, positioning her to challenge Republican former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
To qualify for the nomination, candidates must submit a notarized declaration of candidacy, fulfill legal requirements to be president, and collect at least 300 electronic signatures from delegates, ensuring that no more than 50 come from a single group.
Despite the early voting process, the Democratic National Convention will still proceed as scheduled in late August in Chicago, where delegates will participate in a ceremonial state-by-state roll call vote and hear acceptance speeches from Harris and her forthcoming running mate.
Ahead of the nomination, superdelegates will also have the opportunity to vote on the first ballot, given the overwhelming support for Harris among rank-and-file delegates.
