Superdelegates could override voters' choice for DNC nominee
- 5 years ago
WASHINGTON D.C. — The 2020 Democratic Primaries could end up a god-awful mess, with the possibility of a brokered convention, and superdelegates hijacking the nomination process. Here's what you need to know.
According to The Intercept, the Democratic Party currently has more than 25 presidential candidates. With four to five garnering significant support in the polls, there may not be a clear frontrunner by next July's Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee."
In order to get the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, candidates need to win a 51% majority, or at least 2,026 of the 4,051 delegates during the first ballot — the initial vote of the convention.
Otherwise, the nomination goes to a brokered convention, where delegates vote until a majority is achieved, and a nominee secured.
Also participating in these subsequent ballots are superdelegates, a group of elected officials, party leaders, and other party insiders that are unpledged. This means they are free to support any candidate in the party primary. For the 2020 Democratic National Convention, there will be 764 superdelegates.
In 2016, Bernie Sanders supporters accused the party of tipping the scales in favor of Hillary Clinton, who received 571 superdelegates, compared to only 45 for Sanders.
The Democratic Party has since changed the rules, allowing superdelegates to vote only in the case of a brokered convention.
Many are worried that if a brokered convention were to occur, powerful party insiders and superdelegates could override the voters' choice and in effect decide who becomes the next Democratic presidential nominee.
It's a very real and pretty scary possibility, so I guess we can all agree with California Democratic Rep Ro Khanna when she says: "I wish we had just eliminated the superdelegates."
According to The Intercept, the Democratic Party currently has more than 25 presidential candidates. With four to five garnering significant support in the polls, there may not be a clear frontrunner by next July's Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee."
In order to get the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, candidates need to win a 51% majority, or at least 2,026 of the 4,051 delegates during the first ballot — the initial vote of the convention.
Otherwise, the nomination goes to a brokered convention, where delegates vote until a majority is achieved, and a nominee secured.
Also participating in these subsequent ballots are superdelegates, a group of elected officials, party leaders, and other party insiders that are unpledged. This means they are free to support any candidate in the party primary. For the 2020 Democratic National Convention, there will be 764 superdelegates.
In 2016, Bernie Sanders supporters accused the party of tipping the scales in favor of Hillary Clinton, who received 571 superdelegates, compared to only 45 for Sanders.
The Democratic Party has since changed the rules, allowing superdelegates to vote only in the case of a brokered convention.
Many are worried that if a brokered convention were to occur, powerful party insiders and superdelegates could override the voters' choice and in effect decide who becomes the next Democratic presidential nominee.
It's a very real and pretty scary possibility, so I guess we can all agree with California Democratic Rep Ro Khanna when she says: "I wish we had just eliminated the superdelegates."