2020 Presidential Nominating Process & How to Be a Delegate to the State and National Conventions

NOTE: No delegate/alternate forms will be available until after the March 3 when the viable presidential caucuses are determined.

Virginia’s 2020 Nominating Process

Dec 19,  2019 > Deadline for a Presidential campaign to file to get on the March 3 Presidential Primary ballot.  State Party chairs certify that a candidate is qualified by Dec 24.

Mar 3, 2020 > Presidential Primary.  Candidates must have 15% of the total vote to qualify for delegates to the District, State, and National conventions.  (6.666666 candidates)

Apr 18, 2020 > Norfolk’s caucus at the Academy for Discovery at Lakewood.  Election of delegates to the District/State conventions.  Allocation of delegates based on March 3 Primary percentage.  Norfolk will have separate caucuses for the 2nd & 3rd Districts.  You will file out a filing form to be a delegate to the District and State Convention.

May 9 & 16 2020  > District conventions.

1) 2nd District Convention is May 16.  3rd District Convention is May 2.

2) Delegates to the National convention representing the District are elected.   (2nd District = 3 males and 2 females delegates and 3rd District = 3 males and 2 female delegates and 1 male alternate).  The number of delegates per candidate is based on March 3 Primary results.

3) Electors from the District are elected.

4) Members of State convention Rules, Resolutions, and are selected. All District delegates are also delegates to the State convention.

Jun 20, 2020 > State convention in Richmond.  1) Elect statewide 21 At-Large National delegates, 2 Alternates, and 13 Party Leaders (allocated based on March 3 Primary percentage). 2) Elect 2 statewide Electors.

Jul 13-16 2020 > Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.  Virginia has 124 National Delegates and 8 Alternates.

What You Need to Do to Be a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention:

  1. Your candidate must have received at least 15% of the vote in the March 5 Primary.  This means you have to work really hard to turn-out your candidate’s supporters.
  2. You must file a form to participate in the local caucuses.  The filing deadline is Apr 11 or 13 at 5 PM.
  3. You must get elected at the local caucus to be a delegate to the District/State conventions.
  4. You must file a form to be a delegate from the District or State.  The filing deadline is Apr 17 or 24 or May 1 at 5 PM.
  5. You must get elected at the District or State conventions.

Here is a brochure on How to Participate.  Here are some FAQs.

ALERT:  If you are a delegate to the National Convention you pay your own way.  You pay your own transportation, your hotel room (well over $200 a night), meals, etc.  The convention usually starts on a Monday and adjourns on a Thursday night with the nomination of our candidate.  4 nights in a hotel.  You can stay elsewhere, but all of the Virginia delegation is housed in the same hotel and there are many delegation activities such as a complimentary breakfast each morning.  Virginia has a prime downtown hotel location which is within a block of the convention site. Housing is tight and some delegations are close to 40 miles away.  The convention is not open to the “public.”  If you bring your spouse/partner/significant other, they can apply (lottery or other method determined by the DPVA) for a credential to the night’s convention proceedings.  (You do not sit together.)

Find out more on the DPVA’s 2020 Delegate Selection web page.

Candidates Qualifying to Be on the March 3 Ballot (in the ballot order):

1. Booker
2. Castro
3. Sanders
4. Warren
5. Williamson
6. Bennet
7. Biden
8. Klobuchar
9. Gabbard
10. Patrick
11. Buttigieg
12. Yang
13. Steyer
14. Bloomberg