2020 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions

Democratic Delegate Allocation Math


The Democrats use a single formula for proportional allocation. That is, it is used for the allocation of the the District, PLEO, and At-Large delegates in every jurisdiction.

 

The number of delegate positions allocated to each presidential candidate (including uncommitted) is determined as follows:

Step 1: Tabulate the percentage of the vote that each preference receives.

Example
CandidateVotePercentage
Alex57,53276.092%
Bonnie15,63020.672%
Colin1,6002.116%
Danielle8461.119%
Total75,608100.000%

Step 2: Re-tabulate the percentage of the vote, to three decimals, received by each presidential preference excluding the votes of presidential preferences whose percentages in step 1 fall below 15%. Fine point: If no Presidential preference reaches a 15% threshold, the threshold is the half the percentage of the vote received by the front-runner [Delegate Selection Rules for the 2020 Democratic National Convention - Rule 14.F.]. The total vote is called the qualified vote.

CandidateVotePercentage
Alex57,53278.636%
Bonnie15,63021.364%
Total "Qual Vote"73,162100.000%

Step 3: Multiply the number of delegates to be allocated by the percentage received by each presidential preference in step 2. In this example there are 5 delegates.

Alex78.636% × 5 delegates = 3.932
Bonnie21.364% × 5 delegates = 1.068

Step 4: Delegates are allocated to each presidential preference based on the whole numbers that result from the multiplication in Step 3.

Candidate Delegates
Alex3.9323
Bonnie1.0681

Step 5: The remaining delegates, if any, are awarded in order of the highest fractional remainders in Step 3.

CandidateRemainderAdditional Delegates
Alex.932+1
Bonnie.068 

Final tally:

CandidateDelegates
Alex4
Bonnie1

This is represented as:

Contest Alex Bonnie Colin Danielle
 Pop
Vote
Qual
Vote
DelPop
Vote
AllocDelPop
Vote
AllocDelPop
Vote
AllocDelPop
Vote
AllocDel
CD175,60873,162557,5323.932415,6301.06811,600  846  

Fine point: If a Presidential candidate is no longer a candidate at the time of selection of the PLEO and At-Large delegates, then those at-large slots that would have been allocated to the candidate will be proportionally divided among the remaining preferences entitled to an allocation. In other words, candidates who drop out before the selection time (often at the State Convention) remain eligible to receive District Delegates but any statewide Delegates won will be reallocated. The selection time is when the individual, who will attend the National Convention, is selected to fill the delegate position.


 


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Commentary: THE TIES THAT BIND-- OR DO THEY? or, Politicus Unbound
 
Delegate Allocation
  Democratic Quick Reference   --   Republican Quick Reference  
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  Results Status and Date Retrieved  
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  Estimating the Delegate Count  
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Documentation
  Historical Analysis of the Presidential Nominating Process  
  Historical Analysis of the apportionment of delegate votes at the National Conventions of the two major parties  
  Primary/Caucus/Convention Glossary  
  Statutory Election Information of the Several states / Presidential Primary  
  Dates of PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES re: selection and/or allocation/distribution of Delegates to Major Party National Conventions  
 
  Major Third Party Presidential Nomination Process  
 
  Straw Polls  
 
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