Angelica Casas
Video journalist, BBC News

The convention will tonight hear from Catherine Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected to the US Senate, so it is timely to note how historic a year this is for Latino participation in a presidential poll. A record 32 million are eligible to vote - 5 million more than in 2016 - outnumbering the black electorate for the first time. And they could be more motivated than ever to head to the polls. The 2019 shooting in El Paso was a reminder of ongoing animosity in the US against the Latino community’s immigrant roots. Now they’ve been the hardest hit by Covid-19 - in share of cases, deaths, job losses and pay cuts.

Latinos make up a large portion of the electorate in New Mexico and California, as well as Texas and Arizona, increasingly considered swing states in the 2020 election. While many are young and progressive, heavily supporting one-time Biden rival Bernie Sanders in the primary, they’re not a monolithic voting bloc.

About a third are registered Republicans, more so in places like Florida, where the Latino community has deep Cuban roots. And according to new polling, conservative Latinos are the least likely to decrease their support for President Donald Trump. Joe Biden has an upward hill to climb if he wants to motivate Democratic Latinos to turnout. His biggest issue has been outreach, with many Latinos saying they haven’t heard from his campaign.

He’ll also have to overcome the Obama administration’s record on deportations. Despite its generally friendly policies towards Dreamers and asylum seekers, during his time as vice-president, the Obama-era Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency carried out upwards of three million deportations.

Image source, Getty Images

With Eva Longoria guiding the questions, we've heard from our first few ordinary Americans.

Rick, a farmer who decided to back Joe Biden after Trump's trade war hurt his family farm, says: "If things continue with this type of leadership I'll be the last generation farming this farm."

We also hear from Michelle, a nurse in El Paso in Texas, who is fearful of sending her kids back to school amid the pandemic, but says: "I'm optimistic to move forward with our life and Joe Biden will be the one to take us there."

Now, Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore is the first politician to address the convention (and remind voters to support the campaign).

Image source, DNC

We've heard a chorus singing the US national anthem, featuring singers - adults and children - from across the nation. Next, Reverend Gabrial Salguero of the national Latino Evangelical Colation, leads an invocation.

Eva Longoria's back to introduce the main events.

She says that while planners hoped to come together in person for this, Democrats wanted to be safe and responsible.

"I share Joe Biden's belief that the story of America is one of ordinary people coming together to do extraordinary things," she says.

"We're going to check in with folks around the country and ask: how are you doing?"

Our first video is from a small business owner in Pennsylvania, Biden's home state.

Actress Eva Longoria introduces tonight's theme, "We the people" and we're straight into a montage segment that showcases videos from Democrats and activists across the country - some filmed selfie-style - coupled with historic photos of conventions and Democratic stars past.

The convention is now called to order, and we hear the US pledge of allegiance led by Joe Biden's grandchildren.

Image source, DNC

And we're off - the 2020 Democratic Convention has just started.

We're in for two hours of speeches, music performances and reactions from voters across the country.

Just a reminder: You can watch a live stream of the Democratic National Convention by clicking on the play button in the banner at the top of this page.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

Image source, Reuters

Donald Trump has lamented that because of the coronavirus pandemic he’s no longer able to have his big, arena-packing campaign rallies. On Monday, in Minnesota and Wisconsin, he offered look at what he might do instead.

At three different locations, at three different airports, Air Force One pulled up, and the president popped out to greet smaller, but equally enthusiastic crowds assembled in a hanger near the runway. Then he gave what was for all intents and purpose one of free-ranging rally speeches. He bashed Joe Biden as being out of touch and controlled by the “radical left” and Kamala Harris, whose first name he consistently mispronounced.

He referred to the “China virus” and wondered aloud whether it was set on the world on purpose. He warned that the only way he could lose the election was if it was “fixed”.

The audience, many without masks and most not observing any kind of social distancing, roared their approval and chanted “four more years”. If the campaign rallies have been part emotional support and part sounding board for the president, his barnstorming tour of the upper Midwest was the next best thing.

The president isn’t done, either. Tomorrow he has a trip to Arizona planned. And on Air Force One as it was flying back to Washington from Wisconsin, he came back to tell those of us in the press pool that he would also be announcing a new presidential pardon of a “very, very important” figure.

If this week was supposed to be the Democratic Party’s moment in the spotlight, with their “virtual” national convention kicking off this evening, Trump seems to be doing everything he can to steal their thunder.

It's less than three months before the US Presidential election, and just over 15 minutes before the Democratic Party kicks off its convention - a four-day, now virtual event designed to drum up support and enthusiasm for Joe Biden.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Mr Biden's former rival Bernie Sanders, head the opening night line-up in a bid to demonstrate the breadth of the coalition united against President Trump.

If it's a last minute primer you need - or just some archive footage of pre-coronavirus conventions to get you in the mood - then you still have time to watch our really simple guide.

Laura Trevelyan
Presenter, BBC World News America

Image source, Alamy

Michelle Obama has come a long way since she was thrust out onto the campaign trail in 2008, speaking to audiences around the country about why her husband Barack should be the next president. In her book Becoming, she recalled how painful it was to be told that to some, she seemed like an angry black woman - now, she’s a former First Lady and one of the most popular public figures in America, not to mention a best selling author.

Tonight she will headline the opening night of the convention, and speak warmly and positively about Joe Biden and why he should be America’s next president. It is Michelle Obama who will set the tone for the week, and as a black woman, she will have the chance to reflect on what this moment in America means for the promise of racial equality which has been unfulfilled for so long.

Donald Trump began his political career with birtherism, questioning without any basis whether Barack Obama was actually born in the US. Tonight Michelle Obama will no doubt follow her own advice from 2016 - when they go low, we go high.

But she will emphasise why Joe Biden’s character and integrity matter, drawing a contrast with President Trump

Though many are applauding the bipartisan display brought by former Ohio Governor John Kasich - a Republican - some Democrats say the convention's prime speaking slots should be instead reserved for the party's rising stars.

There are four Republicans speaking tonight in total, which has not gone down well with the left-wing of the party.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has accused Kasich of fighting "against women's rights".

Some Democrats have criticised Kasich over policies enacted during his time as governor - including a number of abortion-restricting measures, like one of the strictest bans in the country that prohibited abortions early as 12 weeks into a pregnancy, and efforts to strip funding from family planning services.

This week, Kasich told BuzzFeed News in an interview that "because [Ocasio-Cortez] gets outsized publicity doesn't mean she represents the Democratic Party".

Another of the so-called Squad, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, said this week she does not support the Democratic platform.

Who are The Squad?

Image source, Amber Rivera

Amber Rivera, 23, from Arizona, hopes Joe Biden will embrace the progressives in his party so their supporters come out to vote.

"Joe Biden is our best chance of restoring any type of humanity back to the White House," she told the BBC.

"I voted for Bernie Sanders during the primary. When Bernie Sanders originally dropped out, I did see it coming and I knew that that was going to be what was going to end up happening. I was sad when I first saw he dropped out, I was really bummed.

"As a young Latina, he did restore a lot of hope in me over here in Arizona, but seeing how quickly he turned around and backed Joe Biden and became a part of his campaign to push them in more of a progressive direction, I couldn't be more happy about that. And I'm just glad that Bernie is standing alongside Biden and pushing him to appeal to a more progressive crowd so that us young people do turn out."

WATCH: What young Democrats think of Joe Biden

Image source, Getty Images

Are you an American voter who is willing to share your experiences with the BBC? You could be living in the United States - or anywhere in the world. What are the most important issues to you and why? Who do you want to be your president? Follow this link to tell us your stories and experiences.

A Pew Research Center study, external out last week puts 53% of voters in favour of Joe Biden and 45% for Donald Trump - but looking at supporter attitudes helps illustrate how fervent Trump's base remains.

Of those saying they'll vote for Trump, 66% say they support him strongly, compared to just 46% of Biden backers saying the same.

Another key finding - the vast majority of voters who say they supported Biden or Trump are "locked into their choices".

Pew reports that 84% of Biden voters and 85% of Trump supporters say they are certain to back their candidate on 3 November.

Just 4% of Trump voters polled said they may change their mind, with a similar 5% for Biden supporters.

Read more on what the polls are saying

Image source, Getty Images

To help guide the process of tying together this week's series of remote events, the Democrats have tapped some celebrity supporters.

Actress Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame will be up first, emceeing tonight's events. Longoria is also the co-founder of the Latino Victory Fund, which was the first national Latino group to back Biden.

Earlier, Longoria tweeted: "The time has finally come!...Join me live at the 2020 Democratic National Convention to welcome Joe Biden and Kamala Harris!"

Later in the week, actresses Kerry Washington, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tracee Ellis Ross (you may recognise them from Scandal, Veep and Black-ish respectively) will also take turns moderating.

“The voices we’re including are the perfect messengers to lift up our theme of unity and help us engage with more Americans than ever before,” said convention programme executive Stephanie Cutter in a statement to US media.

If you're hunting for new music, former President Barack Obama has offered a selection of his playlist favourites - which includes some of the hit artists, like Billie Eilish and Maggie Rogers, who will be playing during this week's Democratic convention.

Image source, Getty Images

It's rare, though not unprecedented, to have members of the other party show up at a convention.

Tonight, we're expecting a speech from former Ohio Governor John Kasich, a lifelong Republican and a Trump critic.

Kasich represents moderate conservatives unhappy with the direction the president has taken his party.

In 2016, he refused to vote for Trump and instead wrote in the name of Republican Senator John McCain.

But this year, he will be backing Joe Biden.

In excerpts released ahead of his address, he says: “I’m a lifelong Republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country.

"That’s why I’ve chosen to appear at this convention. In normal times, something like this would probably never happen, but these are not normal times."

It's clear from briefings and speech excerpts so far that Democrats will be highlighting three crises that the Trump administration is battling at the moment: An economic nosedive, nationwide racial tensions and the Covid-19 pandemic.Would Joe Biden handle any of these better than President Trump? That's what speakers will be attempting to convince American voters of this week.

By last month, support for Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic had fallen to its lowest point among Republicans, according to data from Ipsos, a leading polling company. The graph below starkly illustrates the plunging ratings - but also the political division in the US.

Image source, Getty Images

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders - who fought Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination - is one of tonight's key speakers and from the extracts of his address released so far it seems he will focus on the importance of voting in November, even if Biden wasn't your pick.

"This election is the most important in the modern history of this country," Sanders is expected to say.

"In response to the unprecedented set of crises we face, we need an unprecedented response - a movement, like never before, of people who are prepared to stand up and fight for democracy and decency - and against greed, oligarchy and authoritarianism."

"My friends, I say to you, and to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election. The future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake."

He adds: "My friends, the price of failure is just too great to imagine."

We're just getting the first excerpts from tonight's speeches.

First Lady Michelle Obama's is a pre-recorded video address. She says Biden was a "terrific vice-president" and will be a president who tells the truth - and listens.

"He is a profoundly decent man guided by faith," she adds, adding that Biden "knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic and lead our country".

Biden is about to be crowned as the Democrats' presidential nominee - but what do young millennials and Gen-Z voters who support the party think of their candidate?

At the age of 77, the former vice-president is more than half a century older than the dozen voters we spoke to - yet it's his moderate politics rather than the age gap which has some struggling to get excited.

Will they vote for him anyway?