The Democratic Party plans to implement new rules that would allow national convention delegates to vote remotely, The Washington Post reports.
The party is considering limiting the in-person gathering or holding a virtual event in August.
The new proposal would allow delegates to participate even if they cannot attend in person amid the coronavirus pandemic. A final decision is expected to be made in the coming weeks as the party consults with health officials and local leaders.
The convention, which was scheduled to take place in July in Milwaukee, has already been delayed by a month.
Convention may shrink to single day:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told C-SPAN that she urged Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez to shrink the four-day convention into a single-day event.
“My suggestion to Mr. Perez was get a gigantic stadium and put people six feet apart so maybe instead of having 80,000 people there you would have 16,000 people there and just do it all in one day,” she said.
The current DNC proposal urges “certain changes . . . so as to safeguard the ability of all validly-elected Convention delegates to participate in the Convention in person or by means that allow for appropriate social distancing.”
RNC not planning changes:
The Republican Party is not currently planning changes to its convention plans, though the Republican National Committee recently asked federal officials to provide personal protective equipment to protect attendees.
“The president wants to go full-steam ahead,” said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said. “We are full-steam ahead for in person, in Charlotte.”
The Republican Convention is scheduled for August 24, a week after the Democratic Convention on May 17.
