Know Your Vote: Recap of the Democratic National Convention broken down into terms that high schoolers can understand

The Democratic National Convention was held from Aug. 19 through 22 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The convention discussed and celebrated the nomination of Kamala Harris for president and Tim Walz for vice president.

Those four days provided potential voters — including eligible East student voters — the opportunity to learn more about the Harris-Walz agenda to make an educated decision about their upcoming vote in the presidential election on Nov. 5.

If you’re 18 or will be by Nov. 5 and missed your opportunity to learn more about this year’s democratic nominees, here is a recap of every night of the DNC and the takeaways that can help determine your vote in November.

To kick off day one, Permanent Chair of the Democratic National Convention, Minyon Moore, welcomed the crowd and listed off some accomplishments President Biden achieved during his presidency. She mentioned that President Biden reignited the “soul” of the nation and patriotically passed the figurative, democratic nominee torch to current Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Later in the night, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton brought up two major topics of interest: Harris’s status as the second woman presidential nominee and abortion rights.

Hillary discussed her previous loss in 2016 to former president and 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, referring to her attempt as starting to break the “highest, hardest glass ceiling.” She shared her empathy for Harris as she walks down the same path Hillary blazed eight years ago.

After Hillary showed her support for Harris, more speakers approached the podium to talk about issues involving the ballot. One of these issues was abortion rights — the most potent issue for the ballot, according to CNN. 

Three women with unique stories involving pregnancy complications approached the stand, each making the argument that abortion is a constitutional right. These stories further emphasized the Harris-Walz administration’s goal to reinstate Roe v. Wade after its reversal two years ago.

Essentially, the biggest takeaway from day one is that if Harris and Walz win the election, they will work to protect reproductive rights.

Day two brought in former president and first lady, Barack and Michelle Obama who both threw punches at Trump during their DNC speeches.

Barack referred to Trump as “a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.” Similarly, Michelle took a jab at Trump after she referred to Trump’s previous statement that immigrants are taking “Black jobs” with the question, “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders approached the podium to talk about the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration as well as suggestions for the future. These ideas included improving public education and making healthcare easier to access. He specifically showed his support for Harris’s “Medicare for All” promise. 

To end the night on a lighter note, the Democrats hosted a “party.” The last hour was dedicated to a dance party with DJ Cassidy in control of the music. 

While day one focused on abortion rights, day two dug deep into Harris and Walz’s opinions on healthcare, stressing their ideas on easier access.

Day three was the first day potential voters could hear from the vice presidential nominee, Tim Walz.

Walz started out by introducing himself as a former congressman and two-term Minnesota governor and provided comedic relief through his confession that he’d never used a teleprompter before.

After his introduction, Walz touched on the issues Democrats had mentioned during the first two days, such as abortion rights and health care access.

Also in support of Harris, Bill expressed his satisfaction with Harris’s plan to expand Medicare and establish government-funded healthcare programs. He also attributed these plans to the job growth seen while Harris has been vice president.

Notably, talk show host Oprah Winfrey expressed the importance of diverse representation in the government. She said, “Soon and very soon, we’re going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, two idealistic and energetic immigrants — immigrants — how this child grew up to become the 47th President of the United States.”

Day four marked the final day of the convention where Harris had a chance to talk about her campaign.

During Harris’s approximately 40-minute long speech, she revealed personal information about her upbringing as a child of two immigrant parents and took a swing at Trump and his legal issues.

To back up her claims, she brought up former colleagues — including former deputy district attorney for Alameda County, Amy Resner and former attorney general of Illinois, Lisa Madigan — to confirm and bring validity to Harris’s previous statements. These anecdotes provided potential voters with a form of fact checking for Harris’s past achievements.

Harris ended the DNC with a shout out to President Biden:

“To our president, Joe Biden, when I think about the path we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude. I promise to be a president for all Americans.”