Election Process:
An individual can qualify as a candidate for district-level delegate or alternate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention by filing a statement of candidacy designating his or her presidential or uncommitted preference with the State Board of Elections. A district-level delegate and alternate candidate may run for election only within the district in which he or she is registered to vote.
The State Democratic Chair conveys to each presidential candidate a list of all persons who have filed for delegate or alternate pledged to that presidential candidate. Each presidential candidate may approve no more than the number of delegate seats in that district (e.g., four women and three men in District 1, three women and three men in District 2, etc.). Those candidates are marked as Authorized.
Candidates who are not authorized may not be elected as a delegate or alternate at that level pledged to that presidential candidate (including uncommitted status). Their names do not appear on the ballot.
During the primary, citizens may vote for one presidential candidate and for several female delegates and several male delegates. The delegates and alternates are then allocated in proportion to the percentage of the primary vote won in that district by each presidential candidate, except for preferences falling below 15%.
For example, say District 1 has been alloted three female delegates and three male delegates, for a total of 6 delegates. Presidential Candidate A receives 2/3 of the vote and so gets 2/3 of the delegates: 4 delegates.
Presidential Candidate B receives 1/3 of the vote and gets 1/3 of the delegates: 2 delegates.
Of the six delegates pledged to Candidate A, the four who got the most votes would then be selected to go to the convention (alternating between men and women).
Of the six delegates pledged to Candidate B, the two who got the most votes would then be selected to go to the convention (alternating between men and women).
Delegates pledged to candidates who receive less than 15% of the vote or to candidates who have withdrawn from the race will not be selected to go to the convention.
If a Presidential Candidate does not have enough pledged delegates to reflect the number of votes received, the Democratic State Central Committee will elect the necessary number of delegates.
At the National Convention, the 46 elected delegates vote for their pledged candidate on the first ballot. Delegates who were appointed by the State Central Committee are bound to vote on the first ballot for the presidential candidate who garnered the most votes state-wide. The "super delegates" (who are delegates by virtue of their official positions) may vote for whomever they wish.
After the first ballot, all Delegates are unbound and may vote for
whomever they wish.
