I know a few DUers have been DNC Delegates. How do you do it?

[Blue-Jay]

Call me crazy, but I think I'd like to be a delegate for my state. The DNC website says that I should contact my state DNC office, so I figure that I'll send an email to the "Executive Assistant" for starters since they a) usually reply to people, and b) usually know what they're talking about.

So, what's involved in the whole process?

Any thoughts?

[glowing]

1. Ohh... I want to go too.. I have to swear a loyalty oath and pledge

something in front of an officer in my county.. Then I get on the ballot for selection.. I don't know if I'll get to go or not.. but I really want to go.. and our state doesn't even count.. our delgates don't get a real vote (FL).

[saracat]

2. You have to be'"elected" from your congressional district

to represent your candidate.Then your candidate has to get at least 15% of the vote.Unless you are an elected official, Or super Delegate. Their are "at large' delegate positions but those are elected from state Committe members at a state convention. The amount of Delegates is assigned by population by the DNC.

[Blue-Jay]

3. What does the "election" process entail?

I'm no longer "connected" with the local DNC since I moved a few years ago.

[saracat]

6. can also send emails Pass out lit, usually just a bio and why

you should be Delegate for your candidate.You have to give a speech and have your candidates supporters vote for you. A caucus day is usually set by your state party.

[dragonlady]

4. Clarification: DNC here means Democratic National Convention

Not to be confused with the Democratic National Committee, the governing body for the party.

http://www.democrats.org/a/party/aboutDNC.html

:kick:

[Blue-Jay]

5. OK.

[Blue-Jay]

7. Kick for useful advice.

[Truth2Tell]

8. It helps

to get involved and work hard for your candidate in your Congressional District - get to know the other activists in the campaign and make yourself indispensable. If they are looking for speakers for your candidate at the District convention or for other events you should volunteer. When the time comes for District delegates to vote for national convention delegates you will be associated with your candidate in people's minds and will have a better shot.

Edit to add: You'll need to get to the District convention to begin with... a good way is to doorbell your own precinct and the surrounding precincts for your candidate, track supporters of your candidate and follow up to get them to the precinct caucuses (assuming you're in a caucus state). This helps your candidate earn delegates at the precinct level and will identify you as a leader when the time comes to vote for District delegates.

It's lots of work to try and do this and you won't be the only one trying. But I strongly recommend it!

[Tesha]

9. Here's how it's (basically) done

Your state primary is, essentially, electing a
slate of delegates to the Democratic National
Convention. That slate will consist (usually)
of a proportion of delegates supporting candidate
A, a proportion supporting candidate B, and so on
down the ticket, based on how the candidates
finished in that state's primary.

Now where do these delegates come from?

They are elected by the various campaigns. You
choose your candidate (say, Barack Obama) and
volunteer with your state's Obama campaign to
be a delegate to the DNC. The campaign then
holds an election and a slate of delegates is
nominated. (Usually, per DNC rules, there are
sex-balance requirements for the slate.)

Then, if the primary ends up with, say, eight
Obama delegates going to the DNC from your
state, the top eight vote-getters in the
campaign's delegate slate election get to go
(and the rest of the slate stays home to watch
the DNC on TV).

My guy is Kucinich, and there's hardly a chance
in hell that New Hampshire will be sending any
Kucinich delegates to the DNC, so I didn't bother
with the process this year. But I've participated
in the past when my candidate had a shot
(although I've never gotten to go to the DNC).
And in New Hampshire, the date to volunteer to
be a delegate has just passed; that opportunity
no longer exists for me for this election cycle.

Tesha

[mdmc]

10. Get involved locally

If you donate enough money, you will get to the DNC:kick:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Depends on your state party's method of selecting delegates

In Minnesota, they work their way up from precinct caucus to district caucus to state convention.

[CT_Progressive]

12. Step 1: you have to be able to travel to, I think, Denver.

Actually, Step 0: you have to be a registered Dem
Step 1: ability to do the job
Step 2: contact DNC, ask to be considered, follow instructions.

[terrya]

13. I have no idea, but good luck!

Some help I am. :-(

That would be a great experience. I hope you become a delegate!