When and where will the DNC and RNC be held this year?
With just over four months until the general election on Nov. 5, the presidential election cycle is in full swing. Both Democrats and Republicans are turning their attention to the Midwest to gear up for their respective parties’ national political conventions, which will officially nominate and confirm a candidate for U.S. president and vice president.
Here’s what to know about this year’s Democratic and Republican national conventions.
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When and where will the conventions be held this year?
The Republicans kick off the convention season in Milwaukee from July 15-18. Not only is Wisconsin a battleground state—President Joe Biden won by a narrow margin of 20,000 votes—but it gives the city another chance to host after the Democratic convention in 2020, which was stymied due to a surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the U.S. in 2019.
Over 50,000 people, including approximately 2500 delegates, will attend the four-day event in southeastern Wisconsin.
A month later, the DNC will hold its convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22, just 90 miles south of Milwaukee. The city has a storied history of hosting conventions on both sides of the political aisle, going back to 1860 with the nomination of Abraham Lincoln. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, this will be the Windy City’s 26th political convention.
What happens at the DNC and RNC?
In addition to adopting and unifying a comprehensive party platform, the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee, respectively, offer their parties a chance to select their presidential and vice presidential candidates officially. Delegates from each state and U.S. territory will vote based on their primary election results.
Since 1832, the Democratic Party has held a national convention every four years to nominate its chosen candidates. The Republican National Convention also has a long history; the first convention was held in 1856 to select a presidential and vice-presidential candidate.
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Where can I find more information?
Each party will post updates on their convention websites. Information about the DNC can be found at demconvention.com, while updates on the RNC will be available at gopconvention2024.com.
Maya Homan is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY who focuses on Georgia politics. She is @MayaHoman on X, formerly Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: RNC and DNC 2024: Dates, cities, what to know about each convention