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The Democratic National Convention has been delayed to mid-august due to COVID-19 Concerns

2016 Democratic National Convention ~ The Hill | © Getty Images

The Democratic National Convention (DNC), which was set to take place in Milwaukee from July 13-16, has been delayed to mid-august amid uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic, the host committee announced late last week. The convention, which serves the purpose of nominating a Democratic candidate for President of the United States, will now be held over a span of four days beginning the week of August 17th at the same location in Milwaukee – just one week before Republicans are set to gather in Charlotte, North Carolina to renominate President Donald Trump. According to the New York Times, the proximity of the dates mean that both parties will most likely use similar expert data to assess the safety of holding such large events, and more specifically, assess whether the “benefits of staging the conventions outweigh the medical risks.” ~

The postponement of the DNC represents the largest political event to be upended by COVID-19 in the US thus far. For the Democratic Party, their nominated candidate for President will take on the role a month later than precedent. Presumably, this candidate will be former Vice President Joe Biden, who currently holds a demanding lead in the Democratic primaries with 1,217 delegates. This is nearly a 300 point lead over the other remaining candidate – Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders – who holds just 914 delegates. Although 21 states and the District of Columbia have yet to cast their votes – and the function of casting their votes remains unclear due to COVID-19 – many voters see Biden as the overwhelming favorite for the nomination. According to election models by FiveThirtyEight, Biden is expected to win an estimated 2,393 delegates – easily clearing the 1,991 delegate threshold needed to win the nomination. For the Republican Party, it remains unclear whether such close convention dates will have negative or positive repercussions for President Trump. ~

According to The Hill, Joe Biden’s campaign pushed for the convention to be moved, while keeping the format of the event the same. However, the DNC said it will determine in coming weeks and months the “most appropriate structure for this historic event.” ~

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