In USA, primary election to elect the presidential candidate is going on in full swing. There is not much of an election in Republican Party because Donald Trump is running almost unopposed. Among Democrats, it started with more than 24 candidates. Now it is down to 2 – Biden and Sanders.
How every state awards delegates to each candidate? Each state has a total number of delegates based on the population. (California has the highest number of delegates.) It is straight forward in the Republican Party. For example, if you win 20% of the votes, you get 20% of the delegates.
In the Democratic Party, it is not that straight forward. Their methodology is so complicated it will make even Narendra Karmarkar’s head spin.
For each state, 15% of the delegates are reserved for party VIPs. They are called Superdelegates. They are uncommitted and do not announce their support to any candidate until the convention. The rest of the delegates are divided into 2 halves. First half, the delegates will be awarded based on the % of votes each candidate gets on a statewide basis. There is a caveat. If anyone gets less than 15% of the votes, he/she will not get any delegate. It will be divided proportionately among those who got more than 15% of the votes.
For example, if there is only one candidate who got 16% of the votes and all others less than 15%, that candidate will get all the delegates.
For the second half, the delegates will be awarded based on % of votes each candidate gets in each congressional district (parliamentary constituency) in that state. The same 15% threshold applies.
What if no candidate received 15% of the votes? If no candidate meets the 15% threshold, Democratic Party rules state the minimum to receive delegates will be 50% of the vote received by the front-runner. For example, if candidate A wins with 10% of the vote, delegates will be allocated proportionately to anyone that receives 5% or more.
Hope you all understood. There will be a quiz tomorrow.
It doesn't matter how many delegates the "Dumbocrats" get in the primary. No one can defeat TRUMP in the general election. Only I can stop TRUMP in 2020.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
COVID-19
Thanks for your comments COVID-19. You are right. Looks like the unstoppable Trump will likely be stopped by you.
DeleteMy head is reeling at the complexity in choosing delegates.On what basis VIP delegates are selected by parties?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Mr. KP. Superdelegates are members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic governors, members of congress, senators, and other distinguished party leaders.
DeleteGosh! That's super complicated and I havent understood a bit of it all. I am surely flunking the quiz :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Shilpa. Don't worry. You passed on a curve basis.
DeleteI find it difficult to understand US election systems. You may want to write a post on how the two-party system works sometime.
ReplyDeleteDestination Infinity
Thanks for your comments Rajesh. I sure will one of these days.
DeleteI accept defeat....Thank you SG
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Dee. Don't give up that quickly.
DeleteYou have tried to explain in the most simplest way of how things work. Your explanation is much easier that all other google searches. But, I m still not ready for a quiz!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Viyoma. And, welcome to my blog. Thanks for your complements.
DeleteViyoma, please visit here as often as possible. Thanks.
American election process is one of the most complicated on the planet. So too, as you very nicely explained, the Democratic Party nomination process.
ReplyDeleteBut it looks like Biden has made it, no?
Thanks for your comments Pradeep. Generally, I would say yes it looks like Biden has made it. However, as they say in USA, it ain't over til it's over. This Coronavirus and Biden's gaffes have started a rumor to draft New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
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