January 29, 2020: Next Monday, February 3, the Iowa Caucuses will kick off the delegate selection process for the Democratic National Convention. Over the four months that follow, a total of 3,979 delegates will be selected by voters in a series of primaries and caucuses. To win the presidential nomination on the
first ballot, a candidate will need to win a majority of those delegates—a total of 1,990.
If no candidate can win a majority of the pledged delegates, additional ballots might be needed to determine the party’s nominee. Starting on the second ballot, an additional 771 superdelegates would be able to vote. Once the superdelegates are included, it would require a total of 2,376 votes to win the nomination.
The last time a presidential nomination took more than one ballot was 68 years ago, in 1952. Some analysts believe it could happen again this year. Reasons for that belief include the large number of candidates, the lack of a clear frontrunner heading into the primary season, and the delegate selection rules.
Any Democrat who wins at least 15% of the vote in a state or district will receive a proportional share of the available delegates. If many candidates meet that target in several states, it will reduce the chances for any individual to win the 1,990 pledged delegates needed to secure the nomination.[1]
|
