How is the number of delegates per state determined?

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,561
4
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I was wondering how each party determines the number of delegates per state.
For example, for the Republicans,would New York and Georgia get the same proportion of delegates the states get in the electoral college? Or would the larger percentage of Republicans in Georgia give that state a greater percentage of delegates?
 

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
Staff member
Oct 30, 2000
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Originally posted by: techs
I was wondering how each party determines the number of delegates per state.
For example, for the Republicans,would New York and Georgia get the same proportion of delegates the states get in the electoral college? Or would the larger percentage of Republicans in Georgia give that state a greater percentage of delegates?
For the primaries, the decision is up to the indivigual parties.

For the general election, it is set by Federal Law as the Congressional representation via the Electoral college.

The parties have no impact in terms of delegates to the other primaries

 

M0R0NI

Member
Jan 10, 2008
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The only way a part can influence this is when elected to office they then try to get the districts realigned to include more of one party in the district. But it is all monitored by us the people electing the officials. The point being Vote and participate.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,561
4
0
Let me put it this way, with fictional numbers.
Say there are 100 million people in the U.S.
New York has 10 million people and Georgia 1 million people.
Does the Republican party give New York 10 times the delegates than Georgia because that is the ratio of the populations?
Or, say New York has 90 percent registered Democrats but only 10 percent registered Republicans. Which means New York had 1 million registered Republicans. And lets say Georgia is 100 percent registered Republicans, resulting in the same number, 1 million, of registered Republicans as New York.
If the Republicans based delegates on population than New York Republicans would have 10 times the delegates for each Republican than Georgia. If its based on registered Republicans than Georgia and New York would have an equal number of delegates.
So how is it apportioned by the Republicans and Democrats.
Anyone know?
 

heyheybooboo

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2007
6,278
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Originally posted by: techs
I was wondering how each party determines the number of delegates per state.
For example, for the Republicans,would New York and Georgia get the same proportion of delegates the states get in the electoral college? Or would the larger percentage of Republicans in Georgia give that state a greater percentage of delegates?

It's in the by-laws of each party if you care to look it up. I'm too lazy at the moment ...

 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,561
4
0
Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Originally posted by: techs
I was wondering how each party determines the number of delegates per state.
For example, for the Republicans,would New York and Georgia get the same proportion of delegates the states get in the electoral college? Or would the larger percentage of Republicans in Georgia give that state a greater percentage of delegates?

It's in the by-laws of each party if you care to look it up. I'm too lazy at the moment ...

I tried, but can't find it.

 

piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
17,168
60
91
I thought the voting districts for Presidential Elections were governed (at least partially) by the US census, but it may be quite different for Primaries if it depends on how the Political Party is set up. I wonder if we will every have a third party primary?
 

heyheybooboo

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2007
6,278
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0
Originally posted by: techs
Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Originally posted by: techs
I was wondering how each party determines the number of delegates per state.
For example, for the Republicans,would New York and Georgia get the same proportion of delegates the states get in the electoral college? Or would the larger percentage of Republicans in Georgia give that state a greater percentage of delegates?

It's in the by-laws of each party if you care to look it up. I'm too lazy at the moment ...

I tried, but can't find it.

http://www.gop.com/About/About...4af2-860a-41ae912a2c42

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/01/dnc_charter_and.php
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,561
4
0
Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Originally posted by: techs
Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Originally posted by: techs
I was wondering how each party determines the number of delegates per state.
For example, for the Republicans,would New York and Georgia get the same proportion of delegates the states get in the electoral college? Or would the larger percentage of Republicans in Georgia give that state a greater percentage of delegates?

It's in the by-laws of each party if you care to look it up. I'm too lazy at the moment ...

I tried, but can't find it.

http://www.gop.com/About/About...4af2-860a-41ae912a2c42

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/01/dnc_charter_and.php

I can't find it in either link.

 

jonks

Lifer
Feb 7, 2005
13,918
20
81
Evidence our system is too complex when even a good faith attempt to figure out how the fricken thing is structured requires a phd in electoral physics?
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
173
106
Looks like the Repub rules:

Total Number of Delegates: 2488

The allocation of delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention, which will be held September 1-4, 2008 in a city to be announced in early 2007, is determined as follows:

BASE DELEGATES Each state selects six at-large delegates. American Samoa, Virgin Islands & Guam have four at-large delegates each; Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have fourteen at-large delegates.

DISTRICT DELEGATES Each state also selects three delegates for each member it has in the U.S. House of Representatives

BONUS DELEGATES Each state can earn additional delegates by meeting one or more of the following requirements: the state cast a majority of its votes for the Republican presidential candidate in the previous presidential election, the state elected Republicans to the U.S. House or Senate, selected a Republican Governor or state legislative majorities, and / or the state holds its presidential primary election after March 15th (this is to discourage states from holding early primaries).

Bonus delegates are awarded based on the number of party members elected as Presidential Electors (2004), Governors (2004-2007), House members (2004-2007), Senators (2002-2007), and state legislatures (2004-2007).

Republican delegate counts are based on the number of Republicans elected to the State Legislatures, Governors chairs, U.S. House seats, and U.S. Senators seats through 31 December 2007. Republican unpledged delegate counts are determined by state (or equivalent) party rules and assume that the policies of 2004 will apply in 2008.

Got it Link

Edit: Looks like the Dem rules are Here

Fern
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,561
4
0
Originally posted by: Fern
Looks like the Repub rules:

Total Number of Delegates: 2488

The allocation of delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention, which will be held September 1-4, 2008 in a city to be announced in early 2007, is determined as follows:

BASE DELEGATES Each state selects six at-large delegates. American Samoa, Virgin Islands & Guam have four at-large delegates each; Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have fourteen at-large delegates.

DISTRICT DELEGATES Each state also selects three delegates for each member it has in the U.S. House of Representatives

BONUS DELEGATES Each state can earn additional delegates by meeting one or more of the following requirements: the state cast a majority of its votes for the Republican presidential candidate in the previous presidential election, the state elected Republicans to the U.S. House or Senate, selected a Republican Governor or state legislative majorities, and / or the state holds its presidential primary election after March 15th (this is to discourage states from holding early primaries).

Bonus delegates are awarded based on the number of party members elected as Presidential Electors (2004), Governors (2004-2007), House members (2004-2007), Senators (2002-2007), and state legislatures (2004-2007).

Republican delegate counts are based on the number of Republicans elected to the State Legislatures, Governors chairs, U.S. House seats, and U.S. Senators seats through 31 December 2007. Republican unpledged delegate counts are determined by state (or equivalent) party rules and assume that the policies of 2004 will apply in 2008.

Got it Link

Edit: Looks like the Dem rules are Here

Fern


This is what I found for the Republicans:

(5) From each state having cast its electoral votes, or a majority thereof, for the Republican nominee for President of the United States in the last preceding election: four and one-half (4 1/2) delegates at large plus a number of the delegates at large equal to sixty percent (60%) of the number of electoral votes of that state; provided, however, that if Puerto Rico shall become a state prior to the next national convention, it shall be presumed that it would have cast its electoral votes, or a majority thereof, for the Republican nominee in the last preceding election. (In the computation of the number of delegates at large, any sum of the four and one half (4 1/2) plus the sixty percent (60%) representing a fraction shall be increased to the next whole number.) In addition, one (1) delegate at large shall be awarded to a state for any and each of the following public officials elected by such state in the year of the last preceding presidential election or at any subsequent election held prior to January 1 of the year in which the next national convention is held:

(i) A Republican governor, provided that no such additional delegate at large award to any state shall exceed one (1);

(ii) Membership in the Republican Party of at least one-half (1/2) of the Representatives representing a state in the United States House of Representatives; provided that no such additional delegate at large award to any state shall exceed one (1);

(iii) Membership in the Republican Party of a majority of the members of any chamber of a state legislature, if such chamber has been organized, and is presided over (if the presiding officer is elected by the chamber), by Republicans; provided that no such additional delegate at large award to any state shall exceed one (1).

(iv) Membership in the Republican Party of a majority of all chambers of a state legislature, if all such chambers are presided over (if the presiding officer is elected by the chamber), by a Republican; provided that no such additional delegate at large award to any state shall exceed one (1).

(6) In addition, one (1) delegate at large shall be awarded to a state for any and each Republican United States Senator elected by such state in the six (6) year period prior to January 1 of the year in which the next national convention is held; provided that no such additional delegate at large award to any state shall exceed two (2).





Basically a state gets more delegates if it voted for the Republican candidate in the last Presidential election and/or has majorities of Republicans or just plain Republicans in things like state legislatures, US Senators, etc.
Geez, what a convoluted nightmare to figure out.

 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
173
106
Originally posted by: techs

This is what I found for the Republicans:

-snip-

Where did yours come from? They look to be a bit different.

Fern
 

Thump553

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
12,651
2,395
126
I never dug into the details but it is my understanding that both parties give bonuses to states that voted their way in the last presidential election. In other words, to use a made-up illustration, if Texas would ordinarily have 200 GOP delegates because it went GOP in 2004 it will now have 220 delegates. It's a way of providing incentive to the local organizations and rewarding your base.

 

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
20,984
3
0
I should also point out that its almost traditional to have floor fights in political conventions over seating of delegates. Which should be especially interesting this year because both parties are stripping delegates from States that violated party rules and held early primaries and caucuses. And underlying these early floor fights is often a power struggle over which factions control the respective political parties and who the nominee is going to be.

So in that sense, the rules are not final until the nominee is finally selected. And since both parties could end up with no candidate arriving at the convention with the nomination in their pocket, all stop candidate X strategies will revolve around tweaking the delegate seating rules.