Here’s what to know about the Democratic National Convention

CHICAGO — The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday as delegates gather to formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as its presidential candidate.
Democrats have had a whirlwind few weeks since President Joe Biden quit the race, paving the way for Harris to become the first Black and Asian American woman to a lead major party ticket.
Eyes will also be on Chicago, which is looking to pull off the event without a hitch, building on the success of the 1996 Democratic convention and continuing to push aside historic images of the contentious 1968 DNC.
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Here’s what to know.
Traditionally, party leaders come together every four years to nominate the person they want on the top of the presidential ticket in November. Republicans held their convention last month in Milwaukee.
There’s a few untraditional things about this year’s DNC, though.
Typically, the person nominated emerged victorious through primary elections across the country in spring and summer. This year is different for Democrats since Biden dropped out of the race in July.
Harris has already been nominated in an online roll-call of delegates to be the Democratic nominee, so there won’t be a formal, official vote to nominate her at the convention.
Instead there will be a ceremonial roll call, speeches from party leaders and up-and-comers, and an introduction of Harris’ recently announced running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. It’ll be a televised rally of support to build on Harris’ fundraising and polling momentum from the past month.
Nearly all of the Democratic Party’s well-known officeholders will be joined by thousands of delegates and other supporters and volunteers, along with thousands of members of the media, at the main venues: McCormick Place, south of the Loop, and the United Center on the Near West Side. In addition, organizers are predicting thousands of protesters will take to the streets to bring attention to issues that include the war in Gaza.
There will likely also be some A-list celebrity sightings at the convention sites and around town. Billie Eilish and Julia Louis-Dreyfus took part in Democrats’ last national convention, which was primarily virtual due to the pandemic.
Overall, the DNC estimates some 50,000 visitors will come to Chicago for the convention.
Much of the schedule, including the speaker list, has yet to be announced, although Pritzker and former President Barack Obama are among those that figure to have prominent slots.
Harris is expected to give the convention’s final speech on Thursday, with Walz expected to speak Wednesday.
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Along with logistics for the convention itself, the city is prepared for the possibility that thousands of migrants could arrive from the southern border, sent by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and others.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling has stressed that the department has undergone rigorous training on both crowd control and First Amendment issues.
Chicago proposed that many protesters march west from Union Park, past a small park north of the United Center and then east back to Union Park. Officials announced the route after a coalition of pro-Palestinian protest groups sued to block the city from confining protesters to a two-block strip of Grant Park, far from the United Center.
U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood ruled that she would not force City Hall to widen and lengthen the authorized route, as some protesters had sought.
Park No. 578 just north of the United Center will also serve as a “free speech zone,” Glen Brooks, director of community policing at the Chicago Police Department, said.
Cable news channels, including CNN and MSNBC, will likely carry much of the top prime time programming live. The DNC will broadcast its own feed on social media and its website, DemConvention.com, as well as on Amazon Prime Video. The major networks are expected to offer some prime time coverage. Events will also be available through streaming services.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert plans to broadcast from the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago throughout the week of the DNC — suggesting the Emmy-winning, formerly Chicago-based comedian and Northwestern University alum plans to host guests from the United Center on his late-night show.
Comedy Central’s The Daily Show will also broadcast from Chicago during the convention, including a live show Aug. 22.
Chicago has hosted 25 major party national conventions, 14 for Republicans and 11 for Democrats, since 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was nominated by Republicans, according to the Chicago History Museum. That’s the most of any U.S. city, with the runner-up, Baltimore, having hosted 10.
By Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune (Tribune News Service)