The number of delegates that each state sends to the national nominating conventions of the Democratic and Republican parties is determined by a few key factors. These include the state’s population, how actively engaged the state party organization is, and the rules set by the national party committees. Understanding what goes into delegate math can shed light on the nominating process.
Total Number of Delegates
The total number of delegates for each party’s convention is determined by the national party organizations. For the 2024 election cycle, there will be a total of 4,750 delegates at the Democratic National Convention and 2,550 delegates at the Republican National Convention.
The Democratic Party determines their total delegate count based on past conventions and projected turnout. The number has increased over time from around 3,000 in the 1980s to over 4,000 today. The Republican Party’s rules cap their total number of delegates at 2,550.
State Delegate Allocation
Each state party organization is allotted a certain number of national convention delegates based on the state’s population and several other factors:
- Population – More populous states receive more delegates.
- Voter turnout – States with high voter engagement get bonus delegates.
- Timing of primaries – States that hold later primaries are rewarded with more delegates.
- Past vote for party – States that vote heavily for one party in past elections may get additional delegates.
The Democratic and Republican National Committees determine the delegate allocation formula each election cycle leading up to the primaries. The goal is to appropriately weight each state’s influence according to the above factors.
Democratic Party Delegate Allocation
For the 2024 Democratic National Convention, the number of delegates allocated to each state ranges from 12 delegates for South Dakota to 750 delegates for California. The large population states like California, Texas, and New York have the most delegates.
The Democratic Party’s formula grants each state a base level of delegates tied to population. Then additional delegates are allocated based on factors like how Democratic-leaning the state is, voter participation, and when they schedule the primary.
Republican Party Delegate Allocation
The Republican Party uses a similar system to allot convention delegates to each state party. The number of delegates per state in 2024 ranges from 9 delegates for Alaska, North Dakota, and others up to 172 delegates for California.
The Republican formula awards each state a baseline level of 3 delegates, plus additional delegates based on the state’s Republican Party presidential candidate votes and voter turnout. The largest states get the most national convention delegates.
Delegate Selection Process
Once the state parties know how many delegates they can send to the national convention, the next step is selecting the individuals who will serve as delegates. The process differs slightly between the parties.
Democratic Delegate Selection
Democrats use a two-part system to select their delegates:
- Primary/caucus elections – These allocate delegates to the candidates based on the popular vote.
- District- and state-level conventions – The state party selects individuals who support candidates allotted delegates.
The district- and state-level conventions take place after primary season. Delegates can be party leaders, elected officials, or grassroots activists who pledge to support their chosen candidate at the national convention.
Republican Delegate Selection
The Republican delegate process includes these steps:
- Primary/caucus elections – These determine how many delegates each candidate earns based on the results.
- Local and state conventions – Delegates who support particular candidates are elected to fill the allotted slots.
Republicans allow for some “unbound” delegates who are elected directly on the primary ballot. But most delegates are bound to the popular vote outcome in their state for the first ballot at the national convention.
Superdelegates
The Democratic National Convention includes “superdelegates” in addition to the regular delegates allocated by primaries and caucuses. These are party leaders and elected officials who get a vote as delegates.
In 2020, there were 771 superdelegates making up about 15% of the total Democratic convention delegates. But rules changes after 2016 prohibit them from voting on the first convention ballot unless there is no clear nominee.
Superdelegates include:
- Members of the Democratic National Committee
- Democratic members of Congress
- Democratic governors
- Former party leaders like ex-presidents and vice presidents
The goal is to prevent party elites from overriding the choice of primary voters. Republicans do not have superdelegates in their nominating process.
Delegate Votes at National Convention
At the national convention, each delegate gets one vote. A candidate needs to earn a majority of total delegate votes to officially clinch the party’s nomination on the first ballot.
With 4,750 total delegates expected at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, a candidate would need 2,376 delegate votes to win the nomination. For the 2024 Republican Convention with 2,550 delegates, the magic number is 1,276.
If no candidate wins a majority on the first ballot at the convention, additional rounds of voting take place. After the first ballot, most delegates become “unbound” and can vote for the candidate of their choice.
Pledged Delegates vs Bound Delegates
Delegates who are committed to vote for a specific candidate are considered “pledged” delegates in the Democratic primary and “bound” delegates in the Republican primary. This refers to delegates allocated to candidates through the primaries and caucuses.
Pledged Democratic Delegates
During the Democratic primaries, delegates won based on state primary/caucus popular vote results are considered pledged to their candidate. They are expected to support that candidate on the first ballot at the national convention.
However, pledged delegates are not actually bound by rules to vote a certain way. They can change their support, especially on later convention ballots. This differentiates them from bound Republican delegates.
Bound Republican Delegates
In the Republican primaries, delegates allocated by the state contests are bound to the state primary vote outcome. This means they are required to vote for their assigned candidate, at least in the first ballot at the Republican National Convention.
Most state laws and party rules require bound delegates to stick with their candidate on the first ballot. Some states bind for multiple ballots. However, they are released after the first vote if no nominee is declared.
Delegate Tracking During Primaries
During the state presidential primary season, national media outlets track the delegate counts of candidates as results come in. This reflects the number of national convention delegates won so far based on the state primary and caucus outcomes.
Democrats track the pledged delegate count by candidate. Republicans report the bound delegate totals. These totals provide indicators of who is leading in the race for the party’s nomination long before voting wraps up.
A candidate needs to reach the magic number of delegate votes to officially clinch the nomination before the convention. They can still win without it, but the nomination is not guaranteed if they are short of the required majority of delegates.
Conclusion
Determining the number of delegates in the modern presidential nominating process is a complex formula. It starts with the national party committees setting totals and allotting delegates to states based on population, party support, and other factors. State parties then select delegates through primaries/caucuses and conventions.
The number of delegates won by candidates in primaries becomes an important metric to show who is ahead in the race for the party’s nomination. Both delegate count and momentum from primary wins contribute to one candidate ultimately winning their party’s presidential nomination at the national convention.
