2020 DNC In Milwaukee: Your Questions Answered (So Far)

MILWAUKEE, WI — When Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez joined civic leaders, including billionaire hedge fund manager and Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Alex Lasry, Mayor Tom Barrett and others at the podium in the east atrium of the sparkling cream-colored atrium of the Fiserv Forum on March 11, 2019, it served as the opening ceremony for a 400-day endeavor to prepare Milwaukee for the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

"When we first set about going to get the convention, people were asking us 'why should we do this, what's in it for Milwaukee and Wisconsin?,'" Lasry said. "What makes this convention so special is that this convention is the chance to reintroduce the city to the national and international stage."

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DNC Chair Tom Perez called the decision one of the toughest his committee's ever had to make, but ultimately praised the work civic leaders put into their winning bid.

"This wasn't easy. We started out with almost 10 cities, and we narrowed it down to three — three spectacular cities. Miami, Houston and Milwaukee. They had spectacular bids that they put forth. It took us a little longer because we had an enviable dilemma," he said. "While the choice of Milwaukee does not guarantee success, where you hold your convention is a strong statement of our values, and who and what we're fighting for."

Here are some key questions and answers about the 2020 Democratic National Convention:

When is the 2020 Democratic National Convention?

The four-day convention will be held July 13 to July 16, 2020.

Where will it be held?

The 2020 DNC will be held at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, 1111 Vel R. Phillips Ave., Milwaukee WI. The Fiserv Forum, the product of $524 million in public and private funds, opened in August 2018. As the home of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA Basketball team and Marquette Golden Eagles college basketball team, the new arena is considered the jewel of the NBA.

Other events will be held at the Wisconsin Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave., UW-Panther Arena, 400 W Kilbourn Ave., and Miller High Life Theater, 500 W Kilbourn Ave.

How much will it cost?

According to latest figures provided by DNC officials, the price tag to host the 2020 DNC in Milwaukee is about $70 million. Top Democratic officials say they've already received funding guarantees of up to $11 million as of mid-March 2019 toward that goal.

Additionally, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said that one of the keys to getting the convention to be held in Milwaukee was the city's securing of a $10 million secondary line of credit. That line of credit was put in place as a fail-safe in the event that donors can't come up with enough cash to fund the convention.

An additional $50 million federal stipend will cover the massive security needs during the convention. The U.S. Secret Service is the point agency during the convention.

What happens at the convention?

The 2020 DNC is the culmination of the 2020 Democratic Party's presidential primaries and caucuses which are held in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories

A predetermined number of delegates from each of the aforementioned jurisdictions will travel to the 2020 DNC in Milwaukee to determine the next Democratic nominee for President of the United States in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.

How many people will be here?

Most recent estimates from DNC officials say that there will be about 50,000 people coming in from out of the area. That number of people does not include the roughly 2,000 media members who will descend upon the area or the hundreds — if not thousands — of law enforcement officers who will be coming into the area from all across the U.S.

How will the Democratic nominee be selected?

The 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and caucuses will determine a large number of delegates who will attend the 2020 DNC in Milwaukee. Those delegates are considered "pledged" to a specific candidate who either won or ranked highly in their respective state's primary election.

In addition, there's a smaller chunk of "un-pledged" superdelagates who are appointed by party leaders independent of the primary's electoral process. Under new rules for 2020, the superdelegates are only allowed to vote for a candidate until that candidate has won a majority of the "pledged" delegates.

According to the latest figures, the 2020 DNC will see the attendance of 3,768 "pledged" delegates and approximately 764 "un-pledged" or superdelegates.