By Costas Pitas
(Reuters) - President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and Republican former President Donald Trump will face each other in the 2024 presidential election in what is expected to be a divisive and closely fought contest.
Here is a timeline of events related to the Nov. 5 election between now and Inauguration Day in January 2025.
2024
- July 15-18: Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the party formally chooses its candidate.
- In late July or beyond: Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to debate Trump's yet-to-be-announced running mate on CBS on either of the proposed dates of July 23 or Aug. 13. Trump has accepted a vice presidential debate to be held by Fox News.
Fox wrote to both campaigns suggesting July 23, Aug. 13 or other dates following the party conventions. Trump's campaign has yet to say whether his running mate would debate Harris on CBS. The Biden campaign has not said if Harris would debate on Fox.
- By Aug. 7: The Democrats are set to hold a "virtual roll call" to nominate Biden. It will take place by Aug. 7, the original ballot certification deadline in Ohio, although that date has since been pushed back.
Biden had been due to be officially nominated at the Democratic National Convention later in August.
- Aug. 19-22: Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
- Sept. 10: The second debate between Biden and Trump will be hosted by ABC.
- Sept. 18: Trump, the first sitting or former U.S. president to be convicted of a crime, will be sentenced in the Manhattan hush money case where he was found guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star, should the judge decide to uphold the conviction.
The sentencing was delayed so the judge can weigh Trump's argument that he should have been immune from prosecution under July's landmark Supreme Court ruling that presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for official acts, although he faces an uphill battle since much of the conduct predated his presidency.
Trump denies wrongdoing in the hush money case and has previously said that he plans to appeal.
- Nov. 5: Election Day
- Later in November: It could take days for the election result to be known, especially if it is close and mail-in ballots are a factor.
2025
- Jan. 6: The vice president presides over the Electoral College vote count at a joint session of Congress, announces the results and declares who has been elected. Ahead of the count on Jan. 6, 2021, then-President Trump lambasted his vice president, Mike Pence, for refusing to try to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's win. On that day, the U.S. Capitol was attacked by rioters, and some people chanted "hang Mike Pence" as they tried to stop the count. Both chambers of Congress later resumed their work and certified Biden's win.
Congress has since passed the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, which requires approval of one-fifth of the House and Senate to consider a challenge to a state's results – a much higher bar than existed before, when any single lawmaker from each chamber could trigger a challenge.
- Jan. 20: The inauguration of the election winner and their vice president takes place. At this ceremony, the victor and vice president are officially sworn into office.