“We have been working closely with local and state public health officials, as well as (as) epidemiologists, and have made the difficult decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee,” wrote Chasseny Lewis, a member of the convention. committee, in an email to Congress attendees. “No delegate will travel to Milwaukee and Caucus and the Council meetings will be held virtually.”
Democrats announced in June that they would significantly cut down on the convention this summer and recommended that state delegates not travel to Milwaukee. Authorities had already delayed the convention for a month while the country was dealing with intense cases and deaths from coronavirus.
Last week, organizers informed states parties and convention delegates that they will allow nearly two weeks of virtual voting before the convention, which is scheduled for August 17-20.
“Ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved in the 2020 Democratic National Convention drives every decision we make, and this communication reiterates our guidance from several weeks ago that all members of state delegations, including elected leaders, must plan conduct their official functions. remote business. Last week, we sent delegates guidance on how they will vote and hope to share more details on other opportunities for delegates in the coming weeks, “said Katie Peters, spokesperson for the convention committee , in a statement Thursday.
CNN previously reported that the party’s presumed candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, will continue to accept the party’s nomination and deliver his acceptance speech for Milwaukee, which is a key city within a crucial state on the battlefield. The campaign is planning for the vice presidential candidate to do the same the night before, a campaign official previously told CNN.
But much of the programming will be virtual, not hosted from Milwaukee. Organizers are promoting the event as a “Convention across America,” and say it will feature speeches, music, and other appearances from important landmarks and locations across the country. Organizers say Democratic voters in Wisconsin will be a key part of the schedule, but the convention will also be digitally reimagined, with satellite locations in other shifting states.
Republicans also said this week that they plan to hold a small-scale national convention in Jacksonville, Florida, but delegates are still expected to attend in person. Attendance will be limited to 2,500 regular delegates during the first three days of the convention, and each may bring a guest, and alternate delegates may also attend, with a total attendance limit of approximately 7,000.
New plans for the Republican convention include smaller crowds, fewer speeches, and the use of indoor and outdoor venues in a bid to save a convention in person in Florida, which has become one of the country’s top coronavirus hot spots. The announcement came after months of efforts by Republican officials to deliver the kind of in-person convention that President Donald Trump had demanded in dealing with public health and safety concerns caused by the virus.
CNN’s Daniella Díaz, Ryan Nobles and Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.
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