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Delegates and Superdelegates

by poonam bisht

During the primary election process, candidates are selected by voters in each party in either a primary or a caucus. As an indirect election, the votes cast on ballots in…


During the primary election process, candidates are selected by voters in each party in either a primary or a caucus.

As an indirect election, the votes cast on ballots in each state are not directly for the presidential candidate, but for a delegate who will support that candidate.

However, not all delegates are chosen by the public, and not all delegates are committed to a specific candidate. Though the number of pledged delegates is set, the number of unpledged delegates varies, even throughout the campaign.

Delegates play an important role in ensuring the success of a presidential candidate. The success of both the Democrat as well as the Republican candidates relies heavily on how many delegates they bag. On the Democratic side, a nominee will need to win a majority of the 4,132 delegates to the Democratic National convention. This includes pledged as well as unpledged. On the Republican side, the number of delegates is much less as compared to the Democrats. Here, in order to qualify as the Republican party’s 2016 presidential nominee, an aspirant will need to win the support of the majority of the 2,340 delegates to the GOP National Convention.

What are Delegates

Regular delegates, also known as pledged delegates, are chosen by voters during the primaries and caucuses in each state. Delegates act as representatives, voting on behalf of those who have elected them. Delegates can be pledged to a specific candidate, though they are not always legally bound to vote for that candidate. For this reason, these delegates are also called pledged delegates. The delegates are selected by the members of each party, under the expectation that they are loyal to the party and their pledged candidate. Party members can apply to their local parties become delegates, and are chosen at random by the state auditor. After the primaries and caucuses in each state, the delegates chosen from each state head to the national convention to formally submit their votes and choose their party’s nominee.

What are Superdelegates

Super delegates are delegates that are selected outside of primaries and caucuses. They are selected members of the political party, and many of them are past or present political leaders. Super delegates are chosen during the primary season and are not pledged to either candidate, meaning they are free to make their own decision.

The term “super delegates” usually refers to the practice followed by the Democratic Party, but some Republican Party delegates are also chosen to vote in a similar manner, not determined by primary and caucus results. When it was first used, the term held a negative connotation, as critics of the system felt that these delegates held too much power. A super delegate’s vote is equal to the representation of a large number of people (by some records that number is 10,000). The system has been criticized, even called undemocratic, as super delegates can have a significant and disproportionate effect on the election’s outcome.

There are two types of super delegates that can vote at the Democratic National Convention. The first group are party leaders and elected officials (commonly known as PLEOs), who are prominent members of the party. The other super delegates are called “unpledged add-on delegates,” and are not necessarily leaders of the party, and may not have held an elected position. These super delegates are chosen by the state party. While most super delegates are allowed one vote, others may only be allotted a fraction of a vote.

State wise Delegates/Superdelegates

S.No. State Republican Democratic
1 Alabama 50 60
2 Alaska 28 20
3 American Samoa 9 10
4 Arizona 58 85
5 Arkansas 40 37
6 California 172 546
7 Colorado 37 79
8 Connecticut 28 70
9 Delaware 16 31
10 District of Columbia 19 45
11 Florida 99 246
12 Georgia 76 117
13 Guam 9 12
14 Hawaii 19 34
15 Idaho 32 27
16 Illinois 69 182
17 Indiana 57 92
18 Iowa 30 52
19 Kansas 40 37
20 Kentucky 46 60
21 Louisiana 46 59
22 Maine 23 30
23 Maryland 38 118
24 Massachusetts 42 116
25 Michigan 59 147
26 Minnesota 38 93
27 Mississippi 40 41
28 Missouri 52 84
29 Montana 27 27
30 Nebraska 36 30
31 Nevada 30 43
32 New Hampshire 23 32
33 New Jersey 51 142
34 New Mexico 24 43
35 New York 95 291
36 North Carolina 72 121
37 North Dakota 28 23
38 Northern Marianas 9 11
39 Ohio 66 159
40 Oklahoma 43 42
41 Oregon 28 74
42 Pennsylvania 71 210
43 Puerto Rico 23 67
44 Rhode Island 19 33
45 South Carolina 50 59
46 South Dakota 29 25
47 Tennessee 58 76
48 Texas 155 252
49 Utah 40 37
50 Vermont 16 26
51 Virgin Islands 9 12
52 Virginia 49 109
53 Washington 44 118
54 West Virginia 34 37
55 Wisconsin 42 96
56 Wyoming 29 18
57 Unassigned NA 3
58 Democrats Abroad NA 17
Total 2,472 4,763

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