President Obama will formally accept his nomination on Thursday, the final day of the convention. (Jewel Samad / AFP / GettyImages / Newscom)

Democrats Gather in North Carolina

The party prepares to nominate President Obama for a second term

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The Democratic National Convention (DNC) officially begins today in Charlotte, North Carolina. From September 4 to 6, more than 30,000 Democratic leaders, delegates, members, and visitors are expected to attend.

At the convention, the Democratic Party will officially select President Barack Obama as its nominee in the 2012 presidential election and Vice President Joe Biden as the vice-presidential nominee.

The first two days of the convention will be held at the Time Warner Cable Arena, and the final day will be held at the Bank of America Stadium. Obama and Biden will formally accept their nominations on the final day.

President Obama is the incumbent (the person currently holding the office). He had no major competition for his party’s nomination. Obama has also chosen to retain Biden as his Vice President.

The event will follow a process similar to that of last week’s Republican National Convention. Democratic delegates will vote to nominate their candidates for President and Vice President. The Democratic Party will also officially accept its party platform. This platform will guide Democratic candidates as they speak about issues like the economy, health care, and national security.

The convention will also feature some big-name speakers, including former President Bill Clinton, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and former President Jimmy Carter (who will address the convention via video). San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro will be the keynote speaker. Castro will be the first Latino keynote speaker in the history of the Democratic National Convention.

THE QUEEN CITY

Charlotte, nicknamed “The Queen City,” was chosen as the site of the Democratic National Convention mainly because the vote in North Carolina was extremely close in the 2008 general election. That year, Obama won the state by only 0.3 percent over Republican nominee John McCain.

“We’ve been working for months on getting ready to welcome the world to Charlotte. . .,” Ed Camp, director of business development of the Charlotte EpiCentre, told NBC. “We’re the front porch of the convention.”

After the Democratic National Convention, the primary season will finally be over and the race to the White House will intensify as the November 6 general election gets closer and closer.

Kid Reporter Andrew Liang will be reporting from Charlotte this week! Follow his coverage on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps Blog and the Election 2012 website!

Andrew Liang is a member of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps.

ELECTION 2012

Keep up with all the latest election news on the Election 2012 website.

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