Democratic National Convention postponed until August

The US Democratic party has pushed back its presidential convention from July to August, in the latest disruption to the 2020 electoral calendar over concerns about the escalating coronavirus pandemic.

Joe Solmonese, the chief executive of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said the party would now hold its four-day gathering, which draws thousands of people from across the US, in Milwaukee on August 17. 

“We believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention,” Mr Solmonese said.

The decision came a day after Joe Biden — the former US vice-president who has an almost insurmountable lead over rival Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary — said the party should push back the event from July. He has 1,217 of the 1,991 delegates needed to win the nomination, compared to 914 for Mr Sanders, the Vermont senator.

The number of coronavirus cases in the US has now hit more than 217,000 — almost double Italy, which has the second-highest number of confirmed cases — and the death toll has soared to exceed 5,100 people.

The top scientists on the White House coronavirus task force this week warned Americans to prepare for the possibility that as many as 240,000 people could die in the US even if the government continues “full mitigation” measures and the population maintains strict social distancing.

The Democratic convention is the biggest event on the political calendar before the general election. It is when the party will formally decide on the nominee who will challenge President Donald Trump in November.

The Republicans are scheduled to hold their presidential convention in North Carolina in August, where Mr Trump faces no serious opposition.

The decision to postpone the Democratic convention throws another element of confusion into the race. Centrist Democrats were already concerned that Mr Sanders has not bowed out of the race, and that he would continue to run against Mr Biden even if it became mathematically impossible to win enough delegates.

Holding the convention in August means Mr Biden, the presumptive nominee, will have less time to prepare for the fight against Mr Trump, who has the power of incumbency and a huge war chest.

More than a dozen states have delayed their primaries to May or June as a result of coronavirus, and many are encouraging people to vote by post. Wisconsin is still due to hold a primary on Tuesday despite concerns from health officials, as well as both Democratic contenders.

Mr Sanders has urged the Midwestern state to delay the vote, saying “people should not be forced to put their lives on the line”. He called on Wisconsin, which will be a key battleground in November, to extend the deadline for early voting, which is done by post.

“While we wait for a decision, we urge our supporters to vote by mail,” the independent US senator from Vermont said

Mr Biden and Mr Sanders — both of whom are septuagenarians — have suspended in-person campaigning as cities and states enforce social distancing measures. The pair have relied instead on media appearances and live-streamed statements, press conferences and other forms of engagements with voters. 

Mr Trump has also halted political rallies, which drew huge crowds packed into arenas, after coming under criticism.

Mr Solmonese said the Democratic party could decide to modify the format of the convention in terms of schedule and size.

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