Can I Volunteer At The Dem Convention?

Democrats will convene in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to formally nominate their presidential candidate on July 25. Barring anything extraordinary, that candidate will be Hillary Clinton, as she has more than enough delegates, pledged and super, needed to win the nomination. It will be a momentous occasion, given that she’ll be the first female presidential nominee of a major party, and a lot of people are wondering if they can volunteer at the Democratic convention and play a part in this historical event.

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Although there will be about 10,000 volunteers in Philadelphia to help with convention-related duties, the DNC host committee has announced that it’s already filled all of the volunteer slots, and is no longer accepting new volunteers. There is a wait list that is still open to new registrants, but they will only be tapped if and when existing volunteers withdraw from the convention.

But don’t be too disappointed if you can’t get that volunteer slot you were hoping for. The host committee has made clear that, as strange as this sounds, volunteers won’t actually be able to attend the convention itself. Entering the convention hall requires credentials, and volunteers won’t be given credentials. Instead, they’ll help out with administrative tasks, shipping orders, press inquiries, transportation logistics, and the like.

It’s no wonder that the convention received such a quick response to its calls for volunteers. In addition to the historic nature of nominating a female presidential candidate, the Democratic convention once looked as if it might be contested. This was when the committee was still seeking volunteers, and the prospect of a contested convention may well have helped drive the “immense level of interest” that the host committee has said it received.

There will still be plenty of ways to watch the convention from home. On Monday, Twitter and CBS News announced a partnership to stream both the Democratic and Republican conventions. The live-stream will be viewable on the CBS website and Twitter’s new Live platform, which itself will be accessible both through web and mobile devices. A schedule of events hasn’t yet been released, but given that this is basically the most high-profile event in Democratic politics, you can bet it will be a star-studded affair, with the biggest names in the party addressing the thousands of delegates at the convention.

The Democratic National Convention will take place on July 25 to 28 at the Wells Fargo Center.