The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has proposed moving forward with the virtual roll call for delegates to select a presidential nominee ahead of their in-person convention in Chicago on August 19, party leadership said Monday evening during a press briefing.
The party has not proposed a date when the virtual roll call will begin, but DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said they will still deliver a nominee by Aug. 7, but may come as soon as Aug. 1.
A DNC official also confirmed during the briefing that only pledged delegates -- and not automatic delegates (superdelegates) -- can vote on the first round of virtual roll call voting (first ballot), unless any candidate has secured a majority of all delegate votes. It is also possible for automatic delegates to vote on the first ballot -- though it would not be easy, according to the DNC official, and could only happen if a candidate were to submit a majority of the convention delegates in support of their nomination petition, rather than a required 300 delegate signatures.
On Monday, Harrison and Democratic National Convention Committee Chair Minyon Moore said that the truncated virtual process, which was proposed after a ballot access issue in Ohio that has since been resolved, will still "ensure" that their nominees are on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
"There is still a need for a virtual component to our nominating process. That has not changed, as we laid out in May, we are committed to meeting valid access deadlines," Moore said.
“Immediately after President Biden withdrew from the race, Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, made clear that they would file losses to challenge the Democratic nominee's place on the ballot. That's why we are working in close collaboration with the convention Rules Committee on a framework for the nominating process, which will incorporate an electronic voting system to ensure we meet these deadlines,” she added.
Delegates will be informed about possible candidates through a "a candidate directory" that will be provided to them, and delegates can opt into communications from those candidates.
A DNC official later clarified that interested candidates can be included in the directory even before reaching 300 signatures.
-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim and Isabella Murray
