Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Reuters

There's a huge round of applause and a standing ovation for Elizabeth Warren - one of the loudest and longest I've heard on the floor.

"I love you so much!" a young delegate just shouted in my ear.

The Massachusetts progressive compared Kamala Harris's record with that of Donald Trump over decades, before both were politicians. She outlined Harris's work in courtrooms and Trump's as a businessman, telling the crowd "that is the difference between a criminal and a prosecutor".

Sen Warren says she doesn't trust Trump and his running mate JD Vance and says "We need Kamala Harris. This is about your family and your future."

Caitlin Wilson
Reporting from the convention

Image source, BBC / Caitlin Wilson

I’ve just come up from the convention floor, where delegates and guests are taking their seats as some introductory speakers make their remarks.

Up in the stadium rafters, there are what feels like thousands of red, white and blue balloons sitting in giant nets - presumably ready to rain down on Kamala Harris later tonight after she officially accepts the Democrats’ nomination.

Stick with us - we’ll bring you that moment when it happens, plus all the updates and analysis between now and then from here in the arena and outside with the protesters.

Image source, BBC / Caitlin Wilson

Phil McCausland
Reporting from the convention

I've been speaking regularly with Samuel Doten, an uncommitted delegate who has been advocating for Democrats to adopt a pro-Palestinian stance at the DNC, for about a week now.

It's notable to see how his demeanour has changed in recent days.

A lifelong Democrat and member of the Minnesota delegation, Doten was hopeful last Friday that his party's stance on Israel and Gaza could reflect his own.

In fact, while most Democrats have enjoyed the good vibes at the convention, he and his colleagues have spent the week getting over 300 delegates to sign onto a Gaza ceasefire petition.

But now that the Harris campaign denied his group's request for a Palestinian speaker, Doten appeared dejected and quite sad when we spoke a moment ago.

"We set this up to be a win for her," he told me. "I would have advocated for her and campaigned and phonebanked for her, but she has to give us more than words - we need policy on this."

Phil McCausland
Reporting from the convention

Uncommitted delegates gave the Harris campaign until 18:00 local time (00:00 BST) to announce that they will allow a Palestinian speaker at the DNC.

We've just passed that deadline, so we will see what happens next.

These delegates, who have not committed to backing Kamala Harris’s candidacy, tell me that they have pitched a whole range of possible speakers to the DNC and the Harris campaign - including several Democratic lawmakers - but they were told yesterday evening that none of them would be welcomed on stage.

Several of the delegates camped overnight outside the CNN-Politico Grill, a location for party leaders to hobnob with the press, in protest of the DNC’s decision.

At a press conference earlier, those leading this group of delegates and several lawmakers said that Harris campaign officials have been coming out every 20 to 30 minutes to negotiate.

They say they won't move until they get a Palestinian speaker on the stage, but they haven't said what the consequences of the Harris campaign's missed deadline will be.

Stay tuned.

This is Harris's chance to make an impressionpublished at 00:02 British Summer Time 23 August 2024

00:02 BST 23 August 2024

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

For three days, the Democratic Party has been putting on a heavily scripted national convention, mixing political speeches, musical interludes and some of the party’s biggest names. And Oprah.

Tonight it all wraps up with Kamala Harris’s nomination acceptance speech. While everything that has come so far has been important for Democrats in framing the issues they want to campaign on and energising their supporters and reaching undecided voters, it’s the vice-president’s address that matters most.

This is her chance to introduce herself to an American public that knows who she is but may not have a clear understanding of what she stands for. It’s her opportunity to leave a final, lasting memory for the viewing public as the race heads into its final few months.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from the convention

Samantha Smulyan, a 20-year-old delegate from Indiana, wants to hear Harris connect with young voters during her speech tonight.

"She really captures the youth vote in a way that no one has ever been able to before - a new breath of fresh air," she says.

Merika Coleman, a state senator and delegate from Alabama, says she is most looking forward to Harris introducing herself to the party and laying out her policy visions.

She wants to hear more about reproductive rights, coming from a state where IVF clinicians earlier this year were forced to pause procedures when the state's Supreme Court ruled that embryos qualified as children who had a constitutional right to life.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention floor

It's a bit of a madhouse down on the floor - even more than it has been over the course of the previous few days.

It's crowded on the floor, and difficult to move. If one stops for more than a few moments to talk to someone, security guards and ushers descend to shoo them away.

The programme is now starting, with a small prayer. That's the only time I've heard it be quiet here on the floor. We've now moved onto the pledge of allegiance, led by a 6th grader from California.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from the convention

This may be, in theory, a serious political event in which the potential future of the country is discussed.

Most people tonight, however, are busy chatting about what mystery guests might show up. Will it be Beyoncé? Taylor Swift? Both?

"It's got to be Beyoncé right? This is the Beyhive," says Lewanna Tucker, the chair of Georgia's Fulton County Democratic Party.

"I'll take that, any day."

The rumour mill on the floor is running hot.

Kamala Harris walks out at her rally events to Beyoncé's song Freedom. But there has been no confirmation the megastar, or Swift, will be in attendance tonight.

Mike Wendling
Reporting from Chicago

Donald Trump has disavowed it, its leader has resigned, and the blowback from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is undeniable.

A sprawling set of policy proposals - some rather technical, others quite radical - the think tank had touted it as a blueprint for a second Trump term.

But even though it seems defunct, Democrats are still trying to tie it directly to Trump.

Several speakers have mentioned it on stage. And outside the DNC, I come across a satirical “Project 2025” book signing, complete with a Donald Trump lookalike, fake copies of the plan, and a tiny Russian flag.

I try to find out who’s behind the stunt, but nobody wants to tell me. They are, however, getting a few chuckles from the delegates streaming into the convention.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Brandon Drenon/ BBC

I just bumped into Karen Kenyatta Russell, daughter of NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell.

The Washington state delegate tells me that she is working with the Harris-Walz team to launch the latest "for-Harris" campaign - called Athletes for Harris.

Others include Republicans for Harris, White Dudes for Harris and Hotties for Harris.

The groups work to fundraise and increase voter registration.

Image source, EPA

The red carpet treatment has already been rolled out for a number of stars taking the stage earlier this week - Oprah, Spike Lee, Mindy Kaling and Lil Jon to name a few.

Tonight we're getting some more Hollywood stars already showing up at the DNC, including actress Kerry Washington and singer Pink.

Take a look at the photos snapped moments ago.

Image source, Reuters

Congressman Jamie Raskin has been speaking with the BBC's Caitriona Perry about the Harris candidacy.

"We've got a very clear contrast right now," Raskin says of the difference between the Harris and Trump campaigns.

Harris will build on the successes of the Biden administration, he adds.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr / BBC

There's an air of excitement on the floor of the arena, even before the start of the official programmes.

I've been chatting to a few people down here, and the general sentiment so far is that the DNC accomplished what they believe was necessary as far as messaging.

"We did what we needed to do," says Franklin Delano Wheel, a delegate from Augusta, Georgia.

"Now, in November, we can leave it all on the field. Like Governor Walz said," he adds.

Wheel, for his part, says he has no concerns about Donald Trump or what he might do between now and November - or even after the election.

"He surprised us last time," he adds. "Now we're ready for him."

Mike Wendling
Reporting from Chicago

Image source, Mike Wendling / BBC

I’m in Union Park waiting for the last major protest of the week and a strange scene has just unfolded.

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has shown up and starts to chat with members of a communist party who are passing out literature.

Ramaswamy says he’s here “to listen” and they have a polite, albeit wholly incompatible chat about various issues.

But then another group of protesters spots the Republican. They start chanting, trying to drown him out and drive him away from the park.

Things get heated for a moment, but Chicago police, who are surrounding the area, move in quickly. The confrontation soon fizzles out and Ramaswamy moves on.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Getty Images

It's not just US states and territories that have delegates on the floor of the DNC.

Democrats Abroad - the official organisation of the party's members living overseas - also sent 21 delegates to this year's convention, from countries around the world.

I caught up with one of them, Toronto resident Susan Alksnis, on the floor of the convention last night, where she was dressed as "Auntie Sam".

According to Alksnis, the number of American expatriates using the Democrats Abroad website to register to vote from overseas in the November election has doubled since Kamala Harris became the nominee.

"This election is critical. I believe that people are generally worried about freedom and equality," she said. "But the Democrats are working hard. And Democrats Abroad is working hard."

Mike Wendling
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Reuters

Outside the arena there’s a small group of “uncommitted” delegates who are holding a sit-in, demanding that a Palestinian-American be given a speaking slot tonight.

They’re opposed to US support for Israel’s war in Gaza - a spokesman says it’s "unacceptable" that their request to speak was turned down.

The "uncommitted" were selected during Democratic primaries in various states, and number about 30 out of the more than 2,400 delegates on the floor.

They held out hope that they might be given a main stage slot until last night, when they got a definitive “no” from the Harris campaign.

Outside the convention zone today there will also be a pro-Palestinian rally and march. Thousands came out to protest on Monday, although numbers were far fewer than what organisers had expected.

Vice-President Kamala Harris will deliver a crucial speech tonight to close the Democratic National Convention.

It's a pivotal moment for the presidential nominee as she introduces herself to a national audience ahead of November's election against Republican Donald Trump.

In the clip above, the BBC's Katty Kay sets out the three things she'll be watching out for.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the Chicago

The ground floor of the convention, outside the arena, is a hub of delegates and former officials speaking to journalists on behalf of the Harris administration.

One of them is John Tien, formerly the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration between 2021 and 2023.

Tien - whose job included overseeing security efforts at the US-Mexico border - accused Republicans of wanting to "make fear a real issue in the election come November".

"That's the Trump-Vance way," he said of the Republican campaign's views on immigration and the border. "But this is a nation of immigrants, and diversity is our real value."

He also pushed back against Republican claims that the border is not secure - a charge that Trump and Vance have repeatedly levelled against Kamala Harris.

While record numbers of migrants were detained at the border during the Biden administration, the number of unlawful crossings has now fallen for five consecutive months.

"The border is absolutely secure," Tien said. "I personally don't think this will be an issue come November."

Caitriona Perry
BBC News US chief presenter, reporting from the convention

Many of the female delegates already arriving into the arena are dressed in white.

A delegate told me that an email went out from the Democratic Women’s Caucus last night asking delegates to wear white tonight to commemorate the US suffrage movement.

Image source, Reuters

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says he will be watching Kamala Harris's keynote speech tonight and giving his thoughts on social media.

Trump posted on his social media platform that he "will be doing a LIVE PLAY BY PLAY on TRUTH Social" of Harris’s speech at the Democrat National Convention in Chicago.

Trump and his running mate JD Vance have ramped up their events in recent weeks and have been lobbing various political attacks at Harris and her own running mate, Tim Walz.