US Democrats start voting to nominate Harris as presidential candidate

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, July 30, 2024. [VOA]

U.S. Democrats began voting to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their 2024 presidential candidate to run against former Republican President Donald Trump in the November election for a new four-year term in the White House.

Nearly 4,000 Democratic activists and politicians sent in signatures supporting Harris at the start of a five-day electronic vote ahead of the party's four-day national convention from August 19 to 22 in Chicago.

Harris is expected to name her vice presidential running mate in the coming days and then embark on a string of rallies through several political battleground states that both Harris and Trump need to win to claim the presidency.

The Democratic faithful voting to nominate Harris originally were picked in state-by-state party primary elections and caucuses earlier this year to vote for the reelection nomination of President Joe Biden.

But when the 81-year-old Biden ended his campaign last month after a stumbling debate against Trump in late June and endorsed Harris, 59, the party adherents quickly coalesced behind her candidacy. No other major opponent emerged to challenge her for the nomination.

Harris will become the first Black and South Asian woman to ever secure a major U.S. party's presidential nomination.

With the November 5 election less than 100 days away, polling across the U.S. and in key states shows Harris and Trump locked in a closely contested race.