At Democratic Party conventions there are two types of people voting: delegates and superdelegates. Regular delegates represent the popular vote and thus support whichever candidate won their region’s primary or caucus. Superdelegates are party elites who can vote for whomever they choose, with the ability to change their mind at any point up until the convention itself. There are currently 719 superdelegates, constituting roughly 15% of overall delegates.

Who?

• Those in public office (Governors/ Senators/ Representatives)
• Members of the Democratic National Committee
• Any Democrat who has served as President, Vice President, DNC Chair or leader of either chamber (individuals in these categories are superdelegates for life)

Why?

In 1980 the particularly rough primary contest between President Jimmy Carter and Senator Edward Kennedy sparked major disagreements between party members over how candidates should be elected. By 1984 the Hunt Commission, set up to explore and solve these issues, determined that party elites should have more control over the nominating process. It was hoped that increasing the involvement of high-ranking members would reduce infighting at the conventions and ensure the election of candidates who had a strong chance of winning the general election.

While the Republican Party does not have a superdelegate system (which some have argued would have prevented the rise of Donald Trump), certain states do have so-called ‘unbound’ delegates. These individuals technically do not have to reflect the popular vote in their choice of candidate, but often do to avoid public criticism.

 

Header Image courtesy of DonkeyHotey on Flickr