So You Wanna Be a Delegate

Interested in being a delegate in the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee? Here are the steps you need to take.

First and most important:

If you want to be delegate, work hard for the candidate of your choice. Unless they get at least 15 percent, there will be no delegate slots for you to fill. The larger percentage of the vote they get, the more there are delegate slots. And by working on the campaign, you will convince other activists that you have earned the right to be a delegate.

Second:

There are 57 contests in the Democratic primary system (the 50 states, District of Columbia, five territories, and Democrats Abroad). Since it is done at the state level, it is a huge hodgepodge of laws. Some states choose delegates through elections, while others hold meetings (usually at two levels).

There are 10 ballot states: Alabama, Illinois (500 signatures), Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey (100 signatures), New York (500 signatures), Pennsylvania (250 signatures), Rhode Island (150 signatures), and South Dakota. Check with both the State Party and the State Elections Bureau in those states, to confirm requirements.

Warning:

Presidential campaigns do have the power to strike the names of potential delegates. Make sure the person with that power knows who you are, so they don’t strike your name.

Major Caveat:

State legislatures and state parties can be capricious. While most of this is down in writing, it is very possible things could change. Make sure to double check the procedures for your state.

PLEO means “Party leaders and elected officials,” and it means what you think. If you are an officer in the Democratic Party, or hold elective office in your state, you are qualified to run for a spot as a PLEO delegate.

If you strike out at the district level, you can run for an At-Large spot. Sometimes, At-Large delegates are appointed by the Executive Committee of the State Party, and other times, they are elected by the District-Level delegates. Procedures and filing deadlines vary by state.

General Tips:

1. Getting elected at the local or precinct level is usually fairly easy. There are often more slots than numbers of people in the room.
2. Once you are a delegate to the District Convention, get the names of the other delegates from the State Party office. It should be a relatively small number of people (50 to 100), so doing a mailing should not be a huge cost.
3. If you are in one of the ballot states, try and make your name more visible. Send letters to the editor supporting your candidate is one way to increase visibility.
4. Obviously, and most importantly, pay attention to deadlines! Make sure you get your paperwork in before the deadline, or you will be at the convention as a spectator.

First Step Deadlines :

2019 Dates

• November 8: Alabama—Filing deadline with State Party
• December 31: Ohio—Filing deadline for ballot

2020 Dates

• January 3: Illinois—Fling deadline for ballot
• January 10: New Hampshire—Statement of Candidacy deadline
• January 27: Pennsylvania—Filing deadline for ballot
• February TBD: Maryland—Filing deadline for ballot
• February 3: Iowa—Participate in Caucus
• February 6: New York—Filing deadline for ballot
• February 7: Indiana—Filing deadline for ballot
• February 15: Mississippi—Participate in Caucus
• February 15: North Carolina—Attend delegate meeting
• February 17: Tennessee—Filing deadline for Statement of Candidacy
• February 22: Nevada—Attend Caucus
• February 25: Minnesota—Attend Caucus
• February 27: Rhode Island—Filing deadline for ballot
• February 29: South Carolina—Vote in Primary
• March TBD: Delaware—Attend Caucus
• March 3: California—Filing deadline for Statement of Candidacy
• March 4: Hawaii—Attend Caucus
• March 7: Colorado—Attend Caucus
• March 8: Maine—Attend Caucus
• March 9: New Jersey—Filing deadlines for SOC and Ballot
• March 9: South Dakota—Filing deadline for Statement of Candidacy
• March 10: North Dakota—Attend Caucus
• March 13: Arizona—Filing deadline for Statement of Candidacy
• March 21: Texas—Attend delegate convention
• March 27: Massachusetts—Filing deadline for SOC
• March 27: Utah—Filing deadline for SOC
• March 30: Georgia—Filing deadline for SOC
• April 2: Missouri—Filing deadline for SOC
• April 4: Idaho—Attend Caucus
• April 4: Wyoming—Attend Caucus
• April 7: Florida—Filing deadline for SOC
• April 8: Louisiana—Filing deadline for ballot
• April 16: Michigan—Filing deadline for SOC
• April 17: Wisconsin—Filing deadline for SOC
• April 18: Alaska—Attend Caucus
• April 18-20: Virginia—Attend Caucus
• May 4: Connecticut—Filing deadline for SOC
• May 7: Arkansas—Filing deadline for SOC
• May 8: Kentucky—Filing deadline for SOC
• May 9: Kansas—Attend Caucus
• May 13: New Mexico—Filing deadline for SOC
• May 13: West Virginia—Filing deadline for SOC
• May 15: Vermont—Filing deadline for SOC
• June 4: Montana—Attend Caucus