President Joe Biden has made the decision to withdraw from the upcoming presidential election in November, leaving uncertainty about the future of the Democratic ticket and how the nominee will be chosen.
President Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, making her a strong contender for the Democratic nomination. However, it remains to be seen if any other candidates will challenge her for the position.
This move by President Biden is unprecedented, as there is little historical precedence for a sitting president to drop out of a re-election bid.
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Here is what is known about the nomination process:
How the nomination process works
In this year’s presidential primaries, President Biden faced minimal opposition and secured the majority of the 3,934 delegates needed for the convention. With his withdrawal, these delegates will now have to decide whether to support Harris or another potential challenger.
Typically, delegates were not chosen through primaries before 1972, leading to more contested conventions. The party shifted to rely more on primaries after a tumultuous convention in 1968.
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President Biden clarified that delegates are free to support other candidates, but he would have needed to officially release them through a letter to the party, which has not yet been done.
With the delegates now released, the timing of the nomination vote is uncertain. The Democratic National Convention is set to start on Aug. 19, but plans are being made to convene delegates virtually beforehand due to state laws requiring the nomination to be decided 90 days before the election.
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If no candidate secures the majority of delegates in the first round of voting, superdelegates could come in to raise the threshold for nomination. These superdelegates include top party officials.
What happens to campaign dollars
After Biden’s withdrawal, the fate of campaign resources, staff, and finances remains uncertain. Harris would have access to these resources if she becomes the nominee, while a new challenger would need to build their own campaign infrastructure.
If Harris becomes the nominee, who becomes her running mate?
Prominent Democrats have voiced support for Harris as the nominee, but some have not endorsed her yet. Once the nominee is chosen, delegates will vote on the choice of the running mate.
What happens to Biden?
President Biden has indicated he will serve out his term until Jan. 20, 2025. Calls for his resignation or invoking the 25th Amendment have been made by some Republicans, but Biden has not shown any intention of stepping down before his term ends.
