Explained | What happens if Joe Biden drops out of the US Presidential Election race?

President Joe Biden, currently ill with Covid-19, is facing increasing pressure from the Democrats to drop out of the US presidential election race, with major names such as Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer, among others, calling for the 81-year-old's withdrawal.

Biden's repeated attempts to inspire confidence among his party members have thus far failed, and if reports are to be believed, the 81-year-old is slated to make a "major announcement" on his presidential bid on Friday night.

"People close to top Democrats said Thursday that it now appeared it was a matter of when—not if—Biden bows out of the presidential race. In the past day or so, former President Barack Obama has told friends who have called him that Biden’s path to victory is narrow, according to people familiar with the calls," The New York Times reported.

In light of this development, we take a look at what'll happen if Biden drops out.

Current state of affairs

Having breezed through Democratic primaries, Biden stands set to be elected as the Democratic presidential nominee in a virtual roll call in early August, ahead of the Democratic National Convention.

What happens if Biden drops out?

In case Biden drops out of the race before this takes place, the Democratic Party's 4,000-plus delegates would be free to cast their votes for a new candidate during the virtual roll call in August.

As per Democratic National Convention rules, if no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, then over 700 "superdelegates" could be roped in for subsequent voting.

Voting, as per DNC rules, would continue till one candidate secures a simple majority.

What happens if Biden doesn't drop before the August vote?

In case Biden gets picked as the Democrats' presidential nominee in August, but dies, resigns, or sufferes any kind of disability afterwards, the party would have to find a replacement.

In such a scenario, the Democratic National Committee chair, Jaime Harrison, would consult the Democratic Governors Association and top congressional Democrats about identifying a replacement as per party rules.

The chair would then submit its report to the Committee, which is "authorised to fill the vacancy" and subsequent steps would be taken to find a replacement candidate.

Who is the likeliest candidate for Democrats if Biden does drop out?

Most reports indicate that current Vice President Kamala Harris would be the top pick for Democrats in case Biden drops out.

At 59, Harris is a veteran of American politics, and according to a report by CNBC, the funds raised by the Biden campaign in the current cycle would get transferred to her if she were to get the ticket.

Apart from Harris, names of other top Democrats such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom have cropped up too, but almost all alternatives to Harris have clarified that they aren't going to run for president in 2024.