How the virtual roll call to nominate Kamala Harris will work

Don't expect a balloon drop, at least not yet.

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention will officially select their nominee for president in a process that begins Thursday. But unlike in past years, they won’t do so in the raucous party atmosphere of the convention floor or even during the convention itself. Instead, they’ll quietly fill out electronic ballots in the comfort of their homes, offices, or vacation spots more than two weeks before the first delegate steps foot inside Chicago’s United Center.

Vice President Kamala Harris will be the only candidate eligible to receive votes after no other candidate qualified by a Tuesday night deadline.

Dubbed a “virtual roll call” by Democratic National Committee officials, the process will allow Harris to claim the nomination by Monday, just 15 days after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek a second term following widespread concerns within the party over his ability to defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump in November.