Delegate (American politics) facts for kids

A delegate is a person chosen to speak or act for a group of people. In the United States, delegates often represent citizens in political meetings or government bodies.

There are different kinds of delegates. Some are elected to represent U.S. territories in the United States Congress. Other states have legislative bodies where members are called delegates.

Before a United States presidential election, major political parties choose delegates from each state. These delegates then attend a national convention. At this convention, they vote to pick their party's candidate for president. Delegates are often chosen through primary elections or party meetings called caucuses.

Delegates as Elected Officials

A delegate can be an elected official in the United States House of Representatives. These delegates represent organized U.S. territories, like the District of Columbia or overseas territories. In the past, many parts of North America that later became states also had delegates.

These delegates have many powers similar to regular Representatives. For example, they can vote in committees. However, they cannot vote on the final laws when the full House of Representatives makes a decision.

A similar role is sometimes held by someone called a resident commissioner.

• Delegate is also the title for members of the lower house in the state legislatures of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
• People who were members of important historical meetings, like the Continental Congress, were also called delegates.
• When a group writes or changes a main government document, like a constitution, its members are usually called "delegates."

Delegates at Presidential Conventions

Delegates play a very important role in choosing who will run for president for each major political party.

Democratic Party Delegates

The Democratic Party uses two main types of delegates: pledged delegates and unpledged delegates. Unpledged delegates are often called superdelegates. This system started in 1984.

Pledged delegates are chosen at the state or local level. They are expected to support a specific candidate at the national convention. While they usually vote for that candidate, they are not legally forced to. There are currently over 4,000 pledged delegates.

Superdelegates are usually important Democratic leaders. This includes members of Congress, governors, former presidents, and members of the Democratic National Committee. They do not have to say which candidate they prefer. Since 2018, superdelegates usually do not vote on the first ballot at the convention unless the outcome is already clear.

The Democratic Party uses a system called proportional representation. This means candidates get delegates based on the percentage of votes they win in a state. To get any delegates, a candidate must win at least 15% of the vote in a state or a district within that state. This means a candidate can win delegates even if they don't win the whole state, as long as they do well in certain areas.

Republican Party Delegates

The Republican Party has a similar system. They use bound delegates and unbound delegates. Unbound delegates are sometimes called automatic delegates. Most of the Republican delegates are bound delegates. Like the Democrats, these delegates are chosen at the state or local level. To become the Republican nominee, a candidate needs to win a simple majority of the total delegates at the Republican National Convention.

The Republican Party has fewer unbound delegates than the Democrats. Most unbound delegates are members of the Republican National Committee. There are three from each state. State parties have a lot of freedom in how they choose their delegates. Some states allow all or many of their delegates to remain unbound until the convention. However, in recent years, rules have been put in place to make sure unbound delegates vote based on their state's primary results.

The way delegates are given to candidates varies a lot from state to state in the Republican Party. Many states used a winner-take-all system. In this system, the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state gets all of that state's delegates. However, since 2012, many states have started using proportional representation, similar to the Democrats. While the national Republican Party doesn't require a 15% minimum vote, some individual states have set their own thresholds.

See also

• Convention (meeting)
• Delegate model of representation
• Fraternal delegates