"This is scary' Democrat delegates face scramble to select Biden's successor

It's been more than 50 years since delegates to a Democratic national convention haven't known their nominee as they walked through the door.

- George Chidi

Now, in the aftermath of Joe Biden's decision on Sunday not to seek re-election, there's a mad dash.

Delegates are due to convene in Chicago on 19 August, and while the Democratic party seems to be coalescing around Kamala Harris, there's no guarantee that she will be the nominee, and others could still throw their name into contention.

But just a few hours after Biden's announcement, Google documents were circulating asking delegates to pledge support for Harris.

Jonathan Padilla, a delegate from California, said he didn't want to be rushed into making a decision.

"I do want to have deliberation," he added. "There's a lot of frustration in the party, and I think having a process to talk to people from the campaign and to the candidate or people around her is necessary to help us be unified in November." Delegates are, by and large, local volunteers expected to spend thousands of dollars to fly to Chicago and attend the convention.

It's often viewed as a reward for activism and dedication, but it's typically a far less consequential role than it might be next month.

One delegate who isn't yet old enough to drink expressed his mounting anxiety about how things were unfolding. "I'm a young, young person," said the delegate, who requested anonymity because he feared being replaced by his state chair. "This is my first convention. And this is scary." He said he was disappointed with the party for communicating poorly.