Democrats Postpone the National Convention Because of the Coronavirus
Over the past few weeks numerous large-scale events from the 2020 Olympics to the Tony Awards have been canceled due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Now, the DNC is postponing the Democratic presidential convention, moving it from July to August because of the COVID-19 crisis.
It will now take place the week of August 17 in Milwaukee, just one week before the GOP convention is held in Charlotte.
According to the New York Times, "The adjacent dates mean that both parties will be using expert health data from the same time frame to assess the safety of bringing together thousands of people at one event — and, ultimately, deciding whether the benefit of staging the conventions outweighs the medical risks."
“We’re going to hold a very exciting and safe convention in Wisconsin to highlight our nominee and to make sure that people know the values of the Democratic Party and what we’re fighting for,” Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told the publication.
A shift in the conventions is just one way the upcoming election is being impacted by the coronavirus.
States are scrambling to figure out voting—both for the primary and for the November election—amid stay-at-home orders and general concern over public health and safety. And thus far, 15 states and one territory have pushed back their primary dates or extended deadlines for voting by mail.
At present, Joe Biden is the Democratic front-runner having earned 1,217 delegates to Bernie Sanders's 914. For those keeping track, 2,302 delegates have been allotted so far, with candidates needing a total of 1,991 to secure the nomination.
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