Updated April 09, 2020 03:28:40

Photo: Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee for the 2020 US presidential election. (Reuters: Carlos Barria)

Bernie Sanders, the US Vermont Senator, has ended his campaign to become the next US President.

That means Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee and Donald Trump's opponent in the 2020 election.

The former vice president beat out 28 other Democratic hopefuls.

Here's some really simple answers to your questions about what happens now.

1. Will Joe Biden face Donald Trump?

Yes.

Bernie Sanders was the only other serious contender in the race, and he has now officially dropped out.

There are still several primaries and caucuses to run, but without another contender in the race Joe Biden will be a runaway victor in most of them.

It's also unclear at this point if they will proceed as Americans deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

From here on out, it's Biden V Trump.

Get caught up: We've just watched a gruelling season of primaries and caucuses. Here's how America's election system works.

Photo: After beating 28 other Democrats, Joe Biden will now face his final opponent — President Donald Trump. (AP: Evan Vucci)

2. When will Joe Biden face Donald Trump?

Americans will cast their vote for either Joe Biden or Donald Trump on November 4, AEDT. That's about seven months from now.

You won't have to wait that long though to see them face off though.

The pair will clash in the first presidential debate on September 30 AEDT. Two more debates will take place in late October.

Mark your calendar: Here's a super simple guide to all the key dates left in the 2020 US election.

3. Who will be Joe Biden's vice-president?

We don't know yet.

A candidate normally chooses their running mate closer to the convention (more on this shortly).

But at the latest debate Joe Biden committed to naming a woman as his VP pick.

Mr Biden suggested Stacey Abrams (who ran for governor of Georgia in 2018), former deputy attorney-general Sally Yates and Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen (senators from New Hampshire) were the kinds of people he was looking for, but didn't say which candidates he'd been looking for.

Photo: Stacey Abrams was one of the women Joe Biden mentioned during the debate. (AP: John Amis)

In previous comments, he said he was looking for a VP with experience on the presidential stage, which means his opponents from earlier in the year, Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Elizabeth Warren, could also get the nod.

Could it really be a failed primary candidate?: It wouldn't be the first time a former opponent got the running mate job. We profiled every Democrat who entered the race right here.

4. What happens to Bernie Sanders?

Bernie Sanders will continue his work as a US Senator and politician.

He cited congress's work on the country's coronavirus response as one reason that continuing to campaign was unfeasible.

"This is something I intend to be intensely involved with over the next couple of months and it's something that takes an enormous amount of work," he said.

The Senator also made clear that he'd continue fighting for the policy plans at the heart of his campaign, including universal healthcare, income equality and a green new deal to fight climate change.

Though he said he fully supports Joe Biden as the nominee, Mr Sanders plans to remain on the ballot in the remaining (delayed) primaries to maintain a level of influence over the Democratic party platform.

"It was not long ago that people considered these ideas radical and fringe. They're now widely supported," he said.

How did Bernie Sanders lose this race? His early lead took a huge hit on Super Tuesday. Here's why the moderates started rallying against him.

5. How will coronavirus impact things from here?

The simple answer is we don't know a lot of things, yet.

Things are in such a state of flux in the US right now that it's difficult to predict what will happen in a week, let alone several months away.

Photo: The coronavirus outbreak has already changed elections in the US. (Reuters: Daniel Acker)

We know that the Democratic convention has been moved to August 17, just a week before the Republican convention. We don't know how the conventions might have to change if the US is still in the grip of the pandemic.

We also know that the election must happen before January 21, 2021. So one way or another, Americans will be heading to the polls to vote for Biden or Trump sometime in the near future.

Can Trump cancel the election?: No, his presidential power has limits. If you want to find out how the November poll is likely to change, you can dive in right here.

Topics: donald-trump, person, us-elections, event, world-politics, government-and-politics, united-states

First posted April 09, 2020 02:12:35