Chicago officials and the U.S. Secret Service will hold a press conference Thursday morning to unveil their "comprehensive public safety map" and other public safety measures for the upcoming 2024 Democratic National Convention, according to a press release.
Several Chicago leaders will be in attendance at address, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling. Officials from the FBI and the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications will also be present, the release said.
The address is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., the release said. It will be streamed in the player above once it begins.
The news conference comes on the heels of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Tuesday, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as director of the agency since 2022, stepped down after house congressional leaders called for her resignation during a heated hearing.
In an interview with Morning Joe earlier this week, Pritzker emphasized the city was prepared to hold the event.
“…We know how to run conventions here in Chicago," Pritzker said during the interview. "We've done it more than any other city throughout the history of the United States. And I have to say that we have every level of law enforcement engaged here. I've had a number of meetings to make sure that we're doing all the right things. And we're getting help from surrounding states from all level of law enforcement.”
MORE: JB Pritzker mum on VP speculation as reports swirl over his possible candidacy
Local
The 2024 DNC in Chicago will take place Aug. 19 through 22 at the United Center at McCormick Place. Ahead of the event, The Democratic National Committee will conduct a virtual roll call vote to identify the party’s nominee for the presidency.
While Ohio officials have said they changed their policies to ensure Democrats will be able to have a nominee on the November ballot, the DNC has said they will make their nomination official prior to the original Aug. 7 ballot access deadline in order to strengthen their position against any legal challenges in that state or anywhere else in the U.S.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Those rules were approved by the DNC’s Rules Committee during a meeting on Wednesday.
With the committee adopting their virtual roll call rules on Wednesday, candidates can declare their intention to run beginning on Thursday, July 25.
TIMELINE: How a virtual roll call will identify Democratic Party's presidential nominee
That process will remain open until 6 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, July 27, according to the party’s rules committee.
At July 25, only Vice President Kamala Harris has signaled her intention to run.
As the convention in Chicago draws near, here's what else to know.
When is the Democratic National Convention?
The DNC will take place from Aug. 19-22.
Where is the DNC?
The two main locations for the convention will be the United Center and McCormick Place, a spokesperson for the DNC told NBC Chicago.
The United Center will host official proceedings, primetime programming and speeches, while the McCormick Place will host the official daytime party business, meetings and briefings, a spokesperson said.
Outside of the convention itself, there will be many local businesses that will host DNC-affiliated events.
There is a vendor directory and venue map which show attendees where events can be found during the convention outside of the United Center and McCormick Place.
Extensive security measures and nearby road closures are expected for the convention.
Street closures
According to the city of Chicago, information about traffic impacts, including street and sidewalk closures, will be released in July.
A general scope of which areas could be impacted can be found here.
MORE: Metra to offer shuttle service from O'Hare to downtown Chicago during DNC
Who can attend the DNC?
Delegates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the American territories are welcome to attend the convention, according to the event's website. State parties manage the delegate selection process in each state and territory.
Thousands of volunteer opportunities also exist throughout the Convention, many of which include entry into some or all parts of the Convention hall. Here's how to apply to become a volunteer.
What is a delegate?
Delegates are people who represent voters in the Democratic Party. Delegates cast votes to select the presidential nominee on behalf of the area they represent and also help determine the party’s governing rules.
Registered voters in Illinois can become delegates by completing varying requirements based on what type of delegate they want to be. There are three levels of delegates in Illinois: district-level, pledged PLEO and at-large.
District-level delegates were selected on March 19. District-level delegates are the first group of delegates that are elected during the primary election. They need to submit a petition and a statement of candidacy to be considered. There are 96 district-level delegates.
PLEO delegates are Party Leaders and Elected Officials. To be considered for election, they must have submitted a statement of candidacy and a pledge of support by April 12. They are elected only through a quorum of district-level delegates. There are 19 PLEO delegates selected on April 29.
At-large delegates are the last group to be elected. To be considered for election, they must have filed a statement of candidacy and a pledge by April 12.
Candidates for the at-large delegate role are elected by a quorum of state district-level delegates. There are 32 at-large delegates selected and 12 alternates chosen in case some of the selected delegates cannot attend. These delegates are selected on April 29.
