Today’s events started off with honoring the 26th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The Call to Order highlighted this.

Then Mike Mollena lead us with the national anthem.

Senator Tom Harkin then spoke about the ADA, his brother, and what the ADA means for America.  He then taught us the sign-language symbol for the United States — fingers intertwined and moving your arms in a circle. United one and all is the meaning of this symbol.

The nominations began.

First off was Bernie Sanders.

Then Hillary Clinton’s name was put into nomination.

Roll call:vote followed.

Alabama 59 C, 9 S, 1 abstenstion

Alaska 6 C, 14 S

American Samoa  8 C, 3 S

Arizona 51 C, 34 S

Arkansas 27 C, 10 S including 1 vote by Bernie’s brother

California 330 C 221 S

Colorado 26 C, 41 S, 1 abstenstion

Connecticut 44 C, 27 S

Delaware 23 C,  9 S

Democrats Abroad 7 C, 10 S including one vote by Bernie’s brother

District of Columbia . 39 C, 5 S

Florida 163 C, 72 S, 1 abstenstion

Georgia 87 C, 29 S 1 abstenstion

Guam 9 C, 2 S, 1 abstenstion

Hawaii 15 C, 19 S

Idaho 7 C, 20 S

Illinois 98 C, 74 S

Indiana 48 C, 43 S, 1 abstenstion

Iowa 30 C, 21 S

Kansas 14 C, 23 S

Kentucky 33 C, 27 S

Louisiana 45 C, 14 S

Maine 12 C, 18 S

Maryland 84 C, 36 S

Massachusetts 68 C, 46 S, 1 abstenstion

Michigan 81 C, 66 S

Minnesota 42 C 47 S, 4 abstenstions

Mississippi 33 C, 7 S, 1 abstenstion

Missouri 49 C, 35 S

Montana 14 C, 12 S

Nebraska 13 C, 16 S, 1 abstenstion

Nevada 20 C,  16 S, 1 abstenstion

New Hampshire 16 C, 16 S

New Jersey 90 C,  45 S, 7 abstenstions

New Mexico 27 C, 16 S

New York 181 C, 108 S, 3 abstenstion

North Carolina 70 C, 48 S, 2 abstenstions

Norh Dakota 7 C 14 S, 2 abstenstion

Northern Marianas  9 C, 2 S

Ohio  98 C, 62 S

Oklahoma 20 C, 22 S

Oregon 34 C, 38 S, 2 abstenstions

Pennsylvania 126 C, 82 S

Puerto Rico 44 C, 23 S

Rhode Island 19 C, 13 S, 1 abstenstion

South Carolina 46 C, 13 S

South Dakota 15 C, 10 S

Tennessee 50 C , 23 S, 2 abstenstions

Texas 179 C, 72 S

Utah 8 C, 29 S

Vermont passes

Virgin Islands 12 C, 0 S

Virginia 75 C, 33 S

Washington 32 C, 74 S, 2 abstenstions

West Virginia 19 C, 18 S

Wisconsin 47 C, 49 S

Wyoming 11 C, 7 S

Back to  Vermont 4 C, 22  S

Sanders then speaks and moves to suspend the rules to nominate Hillay by acclamation. Clinton is declared the Democratic Nominee. Total is not announced and Hillary will speak on Thursday  evening.

For your edification,  here is the final vote count:

• Hillary Clinton 2874 votes
• Bernie Sanders 1865 votes

Governor Tery McAuliffe of Virginia  then speaks on behalf of fellow Virginian Tim Kaine. Also spoke of his friendship with Hillary

Then the women of Congress came on stage.  They are 1/3 of the Democratic Congressional delegation

Following  the women, we had a video from Jimmy Carter.

Others begin to tell Hillary’s  story.

She worked with burn victim children.  She worked with kids with disabilities.  She helped insure that kids in South Carolina  no longer were jailed with adults. As first lady of Arkansas, she played major role in improving education in the stae. She worked on adoption  issues so that older kids could find a “forever” home. She continued her fight for children  when she was in the Senate; she reserved an intern position for a person who was raised in foster care.

Then Donna Brazile  spoke. She’s  Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee.  She spoke about segregation in the South. Then she spoke of Hillary’s work with the Children’s Defense Fund.

Agter several other speeches, Cecile Richards, the Executive Director  of Planned Parenthood. She touted the Supreme Court decision in Whole Womens Clinic v Hellerstedt that TRAP laws are unconstitutional . But if Trump is elected,  then women’s lives will be in danger.

Then a surprise  (to me). Senator Barbara Boxer of California talked about her personal relationship with Hillary. Her son-in-law is Hillary’s nephew. This was a segway into how parenting, families broadly defined, and the right to choose are basic to Hillary’s view of America.

Then the conversation turned to healthcare for all. For me that means Medicare for All, aka single-payer healthcare.  As a result  of Bernie’s push for single-payer healthcare,  the platform has improved and now advocates for healthcare as a human right.

At this point, my sister — who was able to obtain a guest pass for the day — decided to leave and head back to the hotel. So we ended watching  Bill Clinton wrap up the day. He gave a personal, family-oriental  picture of Hillary  and how she wrapped policy with her family responsibilities.