Five Democratic candidates have qualified for upcoming debates in Nevada and South Carolina as the Democratic National Committee released qualifications for the Feb. 25 debate in Charleston. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The Democratic National Convention released qualifications for its upcoming presidential debate in South Carolina.

The qualifications for the Feb. 25 debate require candidates to poll at 10 percent in four polls approved by the DNC or 12 percent in South Carolina specific poll released Feb. 4-Feb. 24 or win at least one delegate in Iowa, New Hampshire or Nevada.


The rules are similar to the qualifications for the debate in Nevada scheduled for Wednesday but with a shorter polling period not including the Nevada polls because the South Carolina debate will take place after Nevadans vote.

Five candidates including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders; former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former Vice President Joe Biden have qualified for both debates so far.

The DNC removed the donor threshold for the Nevada and South Carolina debates, which prevented billionaire Michal Bloomberg -- who has said his campaign will not accept contributions -- from participating.

Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, must poll above 10 percent in one more national or early-state poll or 12 percent in two early-state polls to qualify for the Nevada debate.