CLOSER to NOMINATION ELECTIONS Marchhas Passedand Thereare Only Ahandful of Voting Days Left Untilbothpolitical Partiesholdtheir Conventions
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8A » Sunday, March 27,2016 » KITSAPSUN AJOURNAL MEDIAGROUP PROJECT CLOSER TO NOMINATION ELECTIONS Marchhas passedand thereare only ahandful of voting days left untilbothpolitical partiesholdtheir conventions. HillaryClinton 2016 andDonaldTrump areleading in thedelegatecounts, butthatstill does notmeantheyhaveaneasyroadtotheir respective party nominations. When delegate totals arethisclose,anythingcan happen at thenationalconventions this summer. Millions of people have votedinprimariesand at caucuses duringthe first fewmonthsthisyear. Theirvotes arenow in thehands of just afew thousand people. MEETTT THHEE DELEGATES The modern presidential nominationprocess —linking avotecastfor acandidate to the allocation of adelegateatthe convention level—was born outofalaw passed in 1910 in Oregon.In2016, 35 U.S. jurisdictionshaveorwillholdprimary elections, 13 have or will hold caucuses andeight have some combinationofthose. With rulesvarying from partytoparty andstate to state, theprocess of selectingapresidentialcandidate is alot more complicatedthanjustpicking someoneinthe ballot booth. DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS Thereare twotypes of Members ooff theeD Deemmooccraratic Republicanshs h avete twwoo typesos off andahd a hyybbrriidds system. SSttaatteess set delegatesonthe Democratic National CoCommmmiitttteeee,, Congress, convention delegates: bound thepe peerrcceenntatage ththrreesshhoolldd side: pledgeddelegates and statege goovevernorsas anndd delegatesand unbound aac caannddiiddaattee must rreeaacchh unpledged superdelegates. distinguished paparrttyyo o fficiffi ciaallss delegates. to rreecceeiivveeas a share ooff the Pledgeddelegates are (such as foforrmmeerr presidents Bounddelegates,much proportional ddeelleeggaatteess.. awardedbased on votes andvd viicceep presidents)a) arree like thepledged delegateson States were allowed in primariesand caucuses superdelegates.B. BiillllC Clinton,f, foorr theDemocraticside, must vote to awawaarrddd delegates onon a to candidates whoget at least example, isis asa suuppeerrddeelleeggaattee.. fortr thhee candidatete thheeyya are bobouunndd winner-take-allbl baassiiss after 15 percentofthe vote.Atthe In totottaallt there araree4 4,765 to babasseeddo onpn prriimmaarryy anddc caauuccuuss March1h 155t thisys yeeaarr.. States mamayy convention,theymustvotefor delegatesas anndd superdelegates voting. awardad allll delegatesst toot the thecandidate to whom they available, wiwitthh aca caannddiiddaattee There arethree types pluralitywy wiinnnneerro orar awwaarrdd have been pledged. needing2g 2,,338833 to seseccuurree the of bounddelegates: district dedelleeggaatteesst toto thhee Pledgeddelegates come nomination.T. Thheerree are7e 71122 congressionaldistrict district wiwinnnneerr andad att--lalarge in threeforms:district superdelegates. delegates, at-largedelegates delegatests toot the ststaattee delegatesdeterminedbythe Superdelegates,a, anndd the andRepublicanNational winner. Democraticvoteafter recent processis ittsseellff,, took sosommee heatit inn Committeemembers. Some ststaatteess,,l likeWe Wyyoommiinngg elections; atat--lalargede deelleeggaatteess allocated 2008 inin there raacceeb between HiHillllaarryyC Clinton Everystate andterritorygets andCd Coolloorraaddoo,, hold cacauuccuusseess proportionally afterstatewide primaryor andBarackObama. It wasfearedthat delegate spotsfor itsRNC butct chohoosene noott to hahavvee a caucus results; andpledged partyleaders Obama mightwin thedelegatecount representativesand thestate presidentialpl prreeffeerreennccees straw andelected officials(PLEO delegates) butstill lose to Clinton, whohad the chair, threeintotal,and 10 poll durduringtg thhee caucus.T. Thhuuss —these arestatewide electedofficials, superdelegateedge. at-largedelegates.Each th t hoossees states’ delegatesas arree statelegislators,local electedofficialsor Afterhis election,Obama urgedthe congressionaldistrictalso unbound ananddc can vovotteerrf for partyofficials. DemocraticPartyto re-evaluatethe gets threedelegates.States theircr caannddiiddaattee of chochoiceae att Partyrules saythatdelegates must superdelegateprocess. Democratic areae awwaarrddeedd additional aatt--lalarge thece coonnvveennttiioonn.. be dividedequally betweenmen and Change Commission members delegatesfs foorr variousos otthheerr reasons, All1l 16688 members ofof theRe RNNCC are women. States also must setallotments recommendedthatsuperdelegates such as if thestate cast most of itsvotes automaticdelegates,and it’s up to the forthe numberofblack,Hispanic,Native also be pledgedbased on thevote forthe Republican candidateinthe states to determineiftheyare bound American,Asian-Americanand Pacific from primariesand caucuses,but DNC previous presidentialelection, or if the or unbound delegates, though most Islander delegates. members balked. statehas amajorityRepublicanHouse states letthe RNCmembers choosefor Superdelegates have automaticbids Theend compromise wastolowerthe delegation,Senatedelegation, etc. themselves. to theconventionand arenot pledgedto collective influence of superdelegates Thereare threewaysstatescan assign In totalthere are2,472 delegates acandidate.Theycan change theirmind from 20 percentofthe convention vote delegatesafter primaryand caucus available, with acandidate needing1,237 at any step of theprocess. to 15 percent. votes: proportional,winner-take-all to winthe nomination. Sources: www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2016-delegate-tracker/;votesmart.org; ballotpedia.org;www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/2016-presidential-primary-schedule-calendar/;www.poynter.org/2016/heres-what-journalists-need-to-know-about- superdelegates/396248/;www.newsweek.com/democrats-keep-controversial-superdelegates-71649;www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/12/what-happens-if-republicans-face-a-brokered-convention-explained/;www.realclearpolitics.com/ articles/2015/12/22/a_brokered_convention_in_2016_why_it_might_happen_what_it_might_mean_129119.html RACE FORTHE WHITEHOUSE WHAT HAPPENS AT A EL20ECTI16ONS DELEGATE TRACKER CONTESTEDOR Source:http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2016-delegate-tracker/ BROKERED CONVENTION? REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT NEEDED TO WIN NOMINATION: 1,237 NEEDED TO WIN There hasbeenalot of talk this year aboutcontested,orbrokered, NOMINATION: 2,383 Donald Trump: 739 MikeHuckabee: 1* conventions. This happenswhenacandidate does nothavethe majority HillaryClinton: 1,703 TedCruz: 465 Notyet allocated: 944 BernieSanders: 985 of delegatesneeded to secure thenominationafter thefirstvoteatthe MarcoRubio: 166* Notyet allocated: 2,077 John Kasich: 143 convention. Ben Carson: 8* *Jeb Bush, BenCarson, Carly NOTE:Numbers include On thefirstround of voting,all pledgeddelegates must vote forthe candidate JebBush: 4* Fiorina, Mike Huckabee,Rand superdelegates pledged to thecandidates. to whom they arepledged.Iftheyvotefor adifferentcandidate,their vote is not CarlyFiorina: 1* Paul andMarcoRubio have RandPaul: 1* suspended theircampaigns. Notall delegateswereawarded as of counted. States where voteswere dividedproportionallycannotdecidetogive presstime. alltheir delegatestoone candidate. OTHERKEY DATES Superdelegates on theDemocraticsideand unbound delegatesonthe April1:North Dakota primaryand West Virginia June 14: District of Columbia Republican sidecan vote forany candidatetheywish. Republicancaucuses primary Democratic primary Things gettrickyifacandidate doesn’tget themajorityofvotes afterthe first April5:Wisconsin primary May17: Oregonprimary and July 18: RepublicanNational round. Rules, setbeforeeachconventionbyacommittee,can vary on what April9:Colorado Republican KentuckyDemocraticprimary Convention convention andWyoming May24: Washington state July 25: Democratic National happenstopledged delegatesafter that first vote.Atpastconventions,for Democratic caucuses Republicanprimary Convention example, candidates were free to releasetheir delegatestovotefor someone April19: NewYorkprimary June 4: U.S. Virgin Islands Sept.26: Presidential debate April26: Connecticut Democratic caucuses Oct. 4: Vice presidential else,ordelegates became unpledged if acandidate’s supportdropped belowa primary, Delaware primary, June 5: Puerto Rico debate certainpercentage. Maryland primary, Democratic caucuses Oct. 9: Presidential debate Pennsylvania primaryand June 7: Californiaprimary, Oct. 19: Presidential debate Voting continuesuntil acandidate reachesthe majority of votesneeded to RhodeIslandprimary Montanaprimary,New Jersey Nov. 8: Election Day secure thenomination. May3:Indianaprimary primary, NewMexicoprimary, COMINGNEXTMONTH: A Both Democrats (in1952) andRepublicans (in1948) lost thepresidential May7:Guam Democratic North Dakota Democratic look at howthe candidates caucuses caucuses andSouth Dakota have beenusing social media election aftertheir last multi-ballot convention. May10: NebraskaRepublican primary to reach potentialvoters..