Democrats poised to virtually nominate Harris and her running mate by Aug. 7 [Video]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic National Convention delegates can make Vice President Kamala Harris their presidential nominee — and even start approving her yet-to be-named running mate — in online voting beginning next week, as the party races to coalesce around a new top of its ticket heading into November.

The convention’s rules committee on Wednesday passed a proposal where delegates from around the country will be able to vote on potential presidential nominees to replace President Joe Biden, who abandoned his reelection bid last weekend.

But Harris is the only major Democrat to announce publicly that she’s seeking the nomination, meaning she’ll almost-certainly be approved in a single round of virtual balloting beginning Aug. 1 — some 18 days before the party’s convention opens in Chicago.

Democratic National CommitteeChair Jaime Harrison referenced the unprecedented shakeup in the presidential race left by Biden’s bowing out, telling a virtual meeting of the convention’s rulemaking arm, “In the darkness of night, we …