What is the RNC, anyway? What to know about speakers, 2024 Republican party platform

Questions are swirling around the Republican National Convention set to begin next week: Who are all the speakers? Who will Donald Trump choose as his running mate? What is the theme? Will there be surprise guests?

As important as these queries are, it can be easy to get lost in the hubbub and forget that the convention serves a critical purpose in the electoral system. They can also overshadow a simpler question many Americans may be asking: What is the RNC, anyway?

Here's a quick breakdown of what to know about next week's political convention.

When and where is the Republican National Convention?

The Republicans' convention will take place over four days, from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, will be the main venue for the RNC. There also will be events at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center.

What happens at a Republican National Convention?

In the broadest of definitions, political conventions serve as meetings for party delegates to select their presidential and vice presidential nominees and also to adopt a party platform. Over 50,000 people, including approximately 2,500 delegates, will attend the four-day event in southeastern Wisconsin.

More: What is the Republican 2024 platform? (No, it's not Project 2025)

Delegates from each state and U.S. territory, both at the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention, will vote based on their primary election results. Republicans have a total of 2,429 delegates this year, and the nominee will need to garner 1,215 delegates to be proclaimed the winner.

The Republican Party gives individual states more leeway than Democrats to determine how delegates are awarded, and as a result, Republican primary elections employ a variety of different methods. In some states, the delegates are awarded proportionally, but others use a winner-takes-all system, while some states use a hybrid method. States can also let their voters elect delegates directly. Following primaries in all 50 states, former President Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee, after collecting more delegates than any other GOP candidate — 2,265 to be exact.

Why is the convention held in Milwaukee this year?

Wisconsin is a battleground state — President Joe Biden won by a narrow margin of 20,000 votes — and the state has hosted several campaign stops from both the Biden and Trump campaigns in the first half of 2024. The Badger State is in a more advantageous position to execute the massive event, having prepared for the Democratic convention in 2020, though it was stymied due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How can you watch the event and stay up-to-date on convention news?

USA TODAY is streaming the RNC from start to finish, and you can watch it here starting Monday, July 15:

Updates from the RNC will be available at gopconvention2024.com.

Kathryn Palmer is an elections fellow for USA TODAY. Reach her at kapalmer@gannett.com and follow her on X @KathrynPlmr.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ABCs of the RNC: What to know about speakers, Republican platform