What happens at an open convention? What to know about the rarely used process
The domino effect of a nationally televised, disastrous debate performance has left President Joe Biden's prospects of a continued candidacy to be speculative and his campaign scrambling to reassure voters.
Despite Biden saying he's not going anywhere anytime soon, speculation continues, and he faces opposition from both sides of the aisle. Several Democratic members of Congress have called for him to terminate his re-election campaign. In contrast, others have been publicly wary about his ability to defeat Trump in November after appearing incoherent and inaudible on the national stage last week.
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With the Republican National Convention kicking off in over a week, questions on both sides of the political aisle have been raised about not only who would replace the 81-year-old Democrat, but also how they would do it.
The Democratic National Convention is just over six weeks away, and if Biden decides to step down, his party needs a game plan and fast.
Here's how it could play out with an open convention.
More: When is Joe Biden's ABC interview? How to watch president's sitdown with George Stephanopoulos
What is an open convention?
During the primary season, candidates earn delegates based on their performance in state contests. These delegates, both pledged and unpledged, will cast votes at the convention until a candidate secures a nomination. Often, like this year, there is a presumed nominee.
To secure the party nomination, a candidate needs 1,976 delegate votes. Biden has received almost 4,000.
An open convention happens when there is no pre-determined nominee to award the title, and the nominating process to find one would take place at the convention where delegates, once bound to Biden, would be able to cast their votes for whichever new candidate that emerged they wanted.
The Democratic party hasn't had an open convention since 1968 during disputes over the Vietnam War.
How likely is an open convention?
It depends on who you ask. Conversations surrounding a possible replacement for Biden largely speculate that Vice President Kamala Harris would step up and take over the ticket. If Biden endorsed Harris and the party followed suit, the delegates Biden earned would be transferred to Harris, and the convention would operate relatively the same as if Biden were still running.
Harris, being the natural successor as the country's second-in-command, fared better than Biden when polled against Trump in a survey released by CNN on Tuesday and could help Democrats secure voter blocks by appealing to minority groups, campaigning to be the first woman president and woman of color to hold the high office.
Democrats run the risk of amplifying their already poor image of unity with an open convention, as delegates would have the ability to vote for whoever they wanted, which could cause mass disagreement on a public scale.
More: Donald Trump allies intensify Kamala Harris attacks as Joe Biden replacement talk builds
Of course, this is all dependent on whether Biden decides to exit the ticket, and so far, Harris has stood firmly behind him to stay in the race.
When are the party conventions?
The Republican National Convention will take place on July 15 through July 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Democratic National Convention will be in Chicago from August 19 to August 22.
— Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com, on X @woodyreports, or on Threads @samjowoody.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: An open Democratic convention: How would it work if Biden dropped out
