The Independent View: DNC Announces New Polling and Fundraising Threshold for Nov. Debate

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced the Qualification Criteria for the Fifth Presidential Primary Debate in November, a Modest Increase unlikely to lead to a Significant Reduction in the Number of Participating Candidates.

Like the September and October Debates, Candidates will need to clear Both Polling and Donor Thresholds.

Both Thresholds have Increased Slightly over the Requirements for the September and October Debates.

To qualify for the Debate, Candidates must receive 3% in Four DNC-Approved Polls, a Step-Up from the 2% needed to Qualify for the Third and Fourth Debates.

There is also an Additional Early-State Path: 5% in Two Approved Polls conducted in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina. Candidates can Meet either of the Two Polling Thresholds in order to Satisfy that Requirement.

Polls must be Released between Sept. 13th and Seven days before the November Debate, the Timing or Location of which has not yet been Announced, to Count toward Qualification.

Additionally, Candidates now need to receive Donations from 165,000 Unique Donors, up from 130,000 from the September and October Debates, with 600 Unique Donors in 20 Different States, Territories, or the District of Columbia.

The New Thresholds represent the DNC's latest attempt to Balance its Mandate to Cull the Field while also facing Complaints about Excluding Candidates with Impressive Resumes, including Sitting Senators and Governors, who could Not Meet the Previous, Lower Polling, and Donor Marks.

Even some of the Major Candidates who have Appeared in each of the First Three Debates have been forced to Adjust their Strategies to Boost their Poll Numbers or Trawl for Small-Dollar Donors on Facebook, often Spending Multiples more to Advertise than the Money they received in return.

For the Main, 3% Threshold, Candidates still Cannot Count Polls released by the Same Sponsor in the Same Geographical Area Twice. But under the Higher, 5% Path in the Early States, Candidates can Repeat Polls from the Same Sponsor in the Same Geographical Area, a Nod to the Infrequency of Early-State Polls.

NBC News' Partnerships with The Wall Street Journal and Marist College are Included, but now Excluded would be any NBC News/SurveyMonkey Polls that Counted toward the Third and Fourth Debates.

The New Thresholds will Not present much of a Challenge to the Upper Echelon of Candidates like: Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren could All Meet the Polling Threshold as soon as Tuesday. Each Received at least 5% in a Des Moines Register/Mediacom/CNN Iowa Poll released on Saturday, and Monmouth University is Releasing a Poll conducted in New Hampshire on Tuesday Morning.

The other Six Candidates who have Qualified for the October Debate are Less certain to Qualify for the November one. Some, like Sens. Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar, Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and Businessman Andrew Yang, have Already received at least 3% in at least One of the Three DNC-Approved Polls that Count for the November Debate released thus far.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and Businessman Tom Steyer, both of whom Qualified for the October Debate, have Not hit at least 3% in Any of the Three Polls released thus far. Additionally, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii is One Poll away from making the October Debate, she needs to earn 2% One more time before Next Week's Deadline, but also has Not reached 3% for the November Debate.

Steyer's Campaign said that he has already Hit the Increased Donor Requirement. "We’re excited to announce that the campaign has already surpassed the minimum donor threshold, and we are confident that we will meet the polling requirements before the deadline," Campaign Manager Heather Hargreaves said in a Statement.

Castro, Klobuchar, and O'Rourke have also All Hit the New Donor Threshold, according to their Respective Campaigns.

An Updated Donor Count for many of the Candidates were Not immediately available, but All of the aforementioned Candidates have at least 130,000 Unique Donors. The remaining Candidates who have Not yet Qualified for the October Debate remain an even Longer Shot to make it on Stage in November.