A tumultuous summer in American politics reaches another chapter this week.
The Democratic National Convention opens Monday at the United Center in Chicago, where Vice-President Kamala Harris will be officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate.
The convention will climax the most dramatic presidential primary campaign in decades, which began with the announcement that President Joe Biden will not stand for a second term after a disastrous debate performance against the Republican Party's nominee, former President Donald Trump.
Biden almost immediately endorsed Harris, his vice president, for the now-open nomination. Harris had no trouble lining up enough convention delegates to secure the nomination. Otherwise, the gathering in Chicago would have been the Democratic Party's first "open" convention since 1968, also held in the Windy City.
The four-day convention will be tailored for media coverage, with appearances by key party members scheduled for each night.
Delegates will decide on the party platform on Monday afternoon. Biden is expected to speak on Monday night, according to ABC News, along with former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Former President Barack Obama is penciled in to speak on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, former President Bill Clinton will address the delegates, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the vice-presidential nominee, will give his acceptance speech.
Harris will close the convention with her acceptance speech on Thursday night.
If Harris is elected in the November general election, she will be the first female U.S. President and the first woman of colour to hold the office.
Trump was officially named the GOP nominee last month at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, days after narrowly escaping serious injury or death in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, which killed one man attending.
The general election is on Tuesday, November 5.
