View the April 11th Online Workshop for Delegate Candidates

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The following summary outlines who may run as delegate and the process that Democrats Abroad takes to select the delegates who will represent our party at the Democratic National Convention. In addition to these details, those interested in running for a delegate position are encouraged to review our delegate candidate workshop video and our slide presentation. You can also read the complete 2020 Democrats Abroad Delegate Selection Plan, but we've outlined the important details below.

About our delegation to the 2020 DNC
Democrats Abroad will send 21 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August, 2020. These delegates, together with our alternates, committee members and convention page, make up our delegation. The delegation is divided equally by gender.

• 21 delegates
  • 8 automatic delegates
    • Global Chair and Vice Chair of Democrats Abroad
    • Our 6 elected Democratic National Committee members 
      
  • 13 pledged delegates, selected at our regional and global conventions
    • 1 pledged party leader and elected official (PLEO) delegate
    • 12 at-large delegates
      • 9 of these delegates will be selected at the three Regional Conventions. Those regions are the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa. 
      • 3 of these delegates will be selected at the Global Convention.
        
• 1 alternate delegate per presidential candidate
  
• 3 committee members
  • 1 member in the Credentials Committee
  • 1 member in the Platform Committee
  • 1 member in the Rules and Bylaws Committee
    
• 1 Convention Chair, elected by the delegation following the Global Convention. This person is responsible for managing all the details of the delegation’s national convention experience including prep, housing, breakfast meetings, transportation, etc. 
  
• 1 Convention Page, chosen by Global Chair
  
  

How delegates are allocated to each presidential candidate
Presidential candidates are awarded delegates to the Democratic National Convention in proportion to the number of votes received in a state primary or in proportion to their support in a state caucus.

For Democrats Abroad, any candidate receiving 15% or more of the primary votes cast in the Global Presidential Primary will be accorded delegates.* Based on the results of the Global Presidential Primary, delegate allocation is as follows, subject to a recount by campaigns:

• Bernie Sanders - 9 delegates
• Joe Biden - 4 delegates
  
  

Filing Requirements
In order to file to run to become a delegate, you'll need to do the following:

• Identify your presidential preference, and sign a pledge of support for that single presidential candidate (including if uncommitted).
• Submit a written application to the Global Chair by April 17, 2020.
• Indicate which automatic delegate position(s) you are filing for. You may file for more than one position.
  
  

Delegate Candidate Eligibility
Delegate candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a US Citizen
• Be a resident abroad both during the Regional and Global Conventions in May and at the time of the Democratic National Convention in August
• Be a member of Democrats Abroad 
• Be 18 years of age or older as of Election Day, November 3, 2020
• Must not participate or plan to participate in the nominating process of any other delegation to the 2020 DNC, or of any other political party for the 2020 presidential elections.
  (Simply put: Don't vote for a presidential candidate in your home state's primary if you'd like to run for a delegate position with DA.)
  
  

PLEO Delegate Candidate Eligibility
Those eligible to run for the pledged PLEO delegate position include (in order of priority): 

• Officers of the DPCA (members of the Global Executive Committee, as well as current DNC team members)
• Former Officers of the DPCA, and sitting Country Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs
• Other sitting Country Committee officers and Executive Committee members
• Sitting Chapter Chairs, Chapter Vice-Chairs, and Chapter Executive Committee members
• Former DNC members
• Former Country Committee officers
• Other former Democratic elected officials and party leaders
  
  

Presidential Campaigns Delegate Review
Each presidential campaign reviews the list of delegate candidates.

• Democrats Abroad is required to send to each campaign the full list of delegate candidates who have filed to run as delegate by April 20, 2020.
• Each campaign must, in turn, send Democrats Abroad a list of all approved delegate candidates by April 24, 2020. 
  • Campaigns must choose at least 2 names for each delegate or alternate position awarded to the campaign following the Global Presidential Primary.
• The campaign approved delegate candidate list must be gender balanced.
  
  

Regional Conventions 
During the Asia Pacific, Americas and EMEA regional conventions Democrats Abroad regional electors will elect 3 DNC members, and 9 delegates for the National Convention. These 9 delegates will be apportioned across the three regions based on the number of voters who participated in the Global Primary.

Regional Convention electors

• Electors for a regional convention may include: 
  • The Regional Vice Chair representing the region; 
  • All elected national officers and DPCA Voting Representatives, elected or recognized chapter chairs, and members at large for each country committee in good standing.
• Electors must be willing to sign a statement of support for a presidential candidate (including uncommitted), and subsequently caucus in that candidate’s Presidential Preference Group and participate in that group’s delegate elections. 
• All electors for a country committee must be certified by their country’s chair and sent to the Global Chair and Regional Vice Chair no later than April 13, 2020.
• Only certified electors may participate in the Regional Conventions.

Regional Convention Rules

• A quorum = no less than 40% of all certified electors.
• No proxies are allowed.
• Unofficial slates are permitted, but no slate may receive preferential treatment.
• Each delegate position election will be run as a discrete, individual election.
• Should a delegate not be elected in an election, that delegate may run again if there are further elections within their Presidential preference group caucus.
• Presidential preference groups must elect a group of delegates who are gender balanced, with no gender exceeding more than one. Gender nonbinary delegation members do not affect the calculation of the gender division.
• Electors and delegates may participate by video, audio or web conference tools provided by Democrats Abroad
• Each Regional Convention will be chaired by its Regional Vice Chair, or their designee

Regional Convention Agenda

• Call to order by RVC/designee aka Permanent Regional Convention Chair (PRC Chair)
• PRC Chair appoints Permanent Regional Convention Secretary (PRC Secretary)
• Report of the Regional Convention Credentials and Rules Committee
  • Includes the allocation of delegates within the region, per presidential candidate
  • Includes each elector’s voting weight
  • Describes/Prescribes how we elect Platform Committee members
  • Summarizes any decisions referred to the committee by the PRC Chair
• Election of the Regional DNC Member
  • Each region elects one DNC member
  • Their term begins at the close of the 2020 Democratic National Convention
  • Elected by absolute majority of ALL regional electors present
  • Each elector’s voting weight reflects the voting weight reported by the Regional C&R Committee
• Recess into Presidential Preference Groups (PPGs)
• Election of Permanent PPG Chair
  Temporary Chair 
  • Prior to the convention, the presidential candidate or candidate designee appoints a temporary chair of their preference group 
  • The temporary chair calls the meeting to order and presides over the election of a Permanent PPG Chair
  • Election of Permanent PPG Chair 
• Election of Delegates and Alternate
  • Pre-meeting: PRC Chair provides the PPG a list of all approved delegate candidates
  • Nomination process: PPG Chair reads the list of all approved delegate candidates 
  • Election process:  Two rounds of Ranked Choice Voting
  • Affirmative action process: Before each round of voting, the PPG Chair compares our AA goals with our delegation as it stands
• Regional Convention - Take Two! 
  • The Regional Convention Reconvenes
  • Results of PPG Caucus elections announced 
    • As each PPG caucus concludes its election, its PPG chair reports its results to the PRC Chair
    • Challenges must be made known to the PRC Chair prior to announcing results
    • The PRC Chair then announces the results and any challenge
  • Election of 2 Platform Committee members (per region) for the Global Convention (p27)
    • Elected by the absolute majority of ALL regional electors present
    • Each elector’s voting weight reflects the voting weight reported by the Regional C&R Committee
    • Needs to be equally gender divided
  • Regional Convention electors will discuss and adopt “such” resolutions  
    • The newly elected platform committee members of each region will bring these resolutions to the Global Convention Platform Committee
  • The PRC Chair may then discuss further business
• Convention adjourns
  • The PRC Chair and Secretary certifies their delegate results with the Global Chair of Democrats Abroad, noting any challenges
  • The Global Chair certifies these results to the DNC by May 26, 2020

Global Convention
Democrats Abroad will hold its Global Convention on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, 2020. During that time, we will elect 3 DNC members, 4 delegates for the National Convention (3 at large + 1 Party Leader & Elected Official or PLEO) , and 1 alternate for each presidential candidate awarded Democrats Abroad delegates following the Democrats Abroad Presidential Primary. 

Global Convention electors/delegates

• Electors/delegates for the Global convention may include: 
  • Regionally elected delegates to the 2020 National Convention
  • Current automatic delegates (DNC members serving from 2016-2020)
  • Newly elected automatic delegates (DNC members elected during the regional conventions)
  • DPCA members
  • Distinguished party leaders designated by the Secretary of the DNC

Global Convention Rules

• The Global Convention will be chaired by the Global Chair or the Global Chair’s designee
• Electors and delegates may participate by video, audio or web conference tools provided by the DPCA
• A quorum = no less than 40% of all delegates present in person or online
• No proxies are allowed
• Voting weights
  • The voting weight for DPCA members representing their CC = their CC’s turnout in the Global Primary relative to total turnout of voters across CCs. 
  • The voting weight for all other delegates = the same weight as the total vote allocation alloted to the CC with the lowest turnout in the Global Primary.

Global Convention Appointments

• Global Credentials & Rules Committee : The Global Chair must name a Global Credentials & Rules Committee at least 10 days ahead of the regional conventions
• Global Convention Platform Committee: The Global Chair will name at least 6 members to the Global Convention’s Platform Committee before May 15, 2020, as well as their roles. 
  • These 6 are in addition to the 6 platform members elected in the Regional Conventions. (p29)
  • The Global Chair will announce the roles of the 6 Regional Platform committee members before the Convention, and the rules and procedures of the Platform Committee at least 2 days before June 6, 2020.

Global Convention Agenda 

• Agenda rules - the Global Chair will announce the Global Convention agenda latest by June 4, 2020. The agenda must include: 
  • Report of the Credentials and Rules Committee
  • Allocation of votes to these participants
  • Diversity announcement - once quorum is called, the Chair announces the current delegation’s gender and diversity balance, and reminds all delegates of our diversity goals. 

• Recess into Presidential Preference Groups (PPGs)
• Election of Delegates and Alternate
  • Pre-meeting: Global Chair provides the PPG a list of all approved delegate candidates
  • Nomination process: PPG Chair reads the list of all approved delegate candidates 
  • Election process:  Two rounds of Ranked Choice Voting
  • Election order: PLEO, at-large delegates, alternate(s)
  • Diversity process: Before each round of voting, the Global Chair (or the Chair's designee) announces our current diversity results and reminds everyone of our diversity goals 
    • IF necessary, for gender parity purposes the Chair may require a PPG to pause an election while waiting to hear the results of another PPG election
• Global Convention - Take Two! 
  • The Global Convention Reconvenes
  • Results of PPG Caucus elections announced 
    • As each PPG caucus concludes its election, its PPG chair reports its results to the Global Chair
    • Challenges must be made known to the Global Chair prior to announcing results
    • The Global Chair then announces the results and any challenge
  • Diversity announcement - the Chair announces the current delegation’s gender and diversity balance, and reminds all delegates of our diversity goals. 
  • Election of three global DNC Members
    • Their term begins at the close of the 2020 Democratic National Convention
  • DA 2020 Platform - The Global Convention delegates will discuss and vote to adopt the Democrats Abroad Platform 
  • The Global Chair may then discuss further business
• Convention adjourns
  • The Global Chair certifies our delegate results, as well as our newly elected DNC member results, to the DNC by May 26, 2020.

Key Deadlines

• Feb 18 - Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary ballots available on the DA website
• March 3-10 - Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary 
• March 24 - Delegate candidate filing form available on the DA website
• April 13 - Deadline for country committees to certify their electors for the Regional Conventions
• April 17 - Deadline for delegate candidates to submit their intent to run with Democrats Abroad 
• April 20 - Deadline for the Global Chair to send delegate candidate lists to each Presidential campaign awarded delegates following the Primary
• April 24 - Deadline for the Presidential Candidate campaigns to send approved delegate candidate lists back to Democrats Abroad
• May 15, 16, 18 - Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, Middle East & Africa Regional Conventions
• June 6-7 - Global Convention 
• August 17-? - Democratic National Convention

*See page 8 of the DSP for more details of the outcome if no candidate reaches the 15% threshold.