Superdelegates, or UnPledged Delegates, or Automatic Delegates? Rule and Name Changes

2020 Superdelegate (aka UnPledged Delegates, or  'Automatic Delegates') Rule Changes

Prior to 2020 Rule Changes: (rule changes below bar chart on next page)

Pledged Delegates
About 4,800 people determine the Democratic nominee for president. 
They are called "pledged delegates".

Each state (and territory) has a certain number of pledged delegates that are allocated based on the result of the vote in its Democratic primary or caucus.  For those states with more than one congressional district, the available delegates are split - some are awarded based on the statewide (at-large) vote, while the remainder are based on the results in each individual congressional district.

Pledged delegates are allocated in a proportional manner based on the vote share received by each candidate.  This is at both the statewide and congressional district level.

Pledged delegates are committed to vote based on the outcome of the state's primary or caucus - at the Democratic National Convention, where the nominee - the candidate who will make the final run for President - is chosen.

SuperDelegates (UnPledged Delegates or  'Automatic Delegates')
SuperDelegates are Democratic-party insiders and are part of each state's delegation, but are they are not committed to vote based on the outcome of the state's primary or caucus (unlike Pledged Delegates).

Media organizations like the Associated Press call all superdelegates to see who they prefer. 
Having the first say, if even through the media, gives superdelegates the ability to set expectations for candidates. 

Important preliminary events:

• Winning the Iowa caucuses: Buttigieg
• Buttigieg    Sanders    Warren   Biden    
• 14             12         8        6
• Winning the New Hampshire primaries: Tie: Buttigieg & Sanders
• Buttigieg    Sanders    Warren    Biden
• 9              9          0        0
• Winning the support of superdelegates

The Nevada  primaries:    Sanders  Buttigieg  Warren  Biden

                            24       3          0      9

The complaint is that the average superdelegate is 60 years old since older party leaders are more likely to be established statesmen who earn a spot on the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

The age gap between the 60-year-old superdelegates, and the younger voters who had no delegate favors, caused a distinct advantage for Clinton in the 2016 elections. Exit polls consistently showed younger voters supporting Sanders by huge margins, while older voters preferred Clinton. 
So the older demographics of superdelegates favored Clinton. 

So who are these people who have outsized power in this process? 

• DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS (21) 
• GOVERNORS (19) 
• REPRESENTATIVES (193) 
• SENATORS (47) 
• DNC MEMBERS (437)

SUPERDELEGATES IN 2016

LOUISIANA 

John Bel Edwards    GOVERNOR

Cedric Richmond     US REPRESENTATIVE

Arlanda Williams    NATL. DEM. COUNTY OFFICIALS

Arthur Morrell      DNC MEMBER

Ben L. Jeffers      DNC MEMBER

Deborah Langhoff    DNC MEMBER

Karen Carter Peterson DNC MEMBER

R. Michael McHale   DNC MEMBER

NORTH CAROLINA

Alma Adams       US REPRESENTATIVE 

David Price      US REPRESENTATIVE 

G.K. Butterfield US REPRESENTATIVE 

J. David Cox     MEMBERS AT LARGE 

Joyce Brayboy    MEMBERS AT LARGE 

Janet Cowell     NATL. ASSN. OF DEM. ST. TREASURERS 

Everett Ward     DNC MEMBER 

Jake Quinn       DNC MEMBER 

Jeanette Council DNC MEMBER 

Olma Echeverri   DNC MEMBER 

Pat Cotham       DNC MEMBER 

Patsy Keever     DNC MEMBER 

Zack Hawkins     DNC MEMBER 

Akilah Ensley    YOUNG DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA 

SOUTH CAROLINA 

Jim Clyburn        US REPRESENTATIVE    

Boyd Brown         DNC MEMBER    

Donald L. Fowler   MEMBERS AT LARGE & FORMER DNC CHAIR    

Gilda Cobb-Hunter  DNC MEMBER    

Jamie R. Harrison  DNC MEMBER    

Kaye Lingle Koonce DNC MEMBER    

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Democratic Superdelegate Rule Changes for 2020 

Unpledged delegates, aka superdelegates or  'Automatic Delegates', will make up about 16% of Democratic Party delegates in 2020. 

These party insiders are part of each state's delegation but are not committed to voting based on the outcome of the state's primary or caucus. 

This has caused considerable friction over the years. This came to a head in 2016 when many superdelegates announced early support for Hillary Clinton, creating the perception that the party was putting its thumb on the scale in her favor against Bernie Sanders. 

As a result, the party has made a significant change for 2020. 
Superdelegates* will no longer vote on the first ballot at the convention unless there is no doubt about the outcome. 
To win on the first ballot, the frontrunner must secure the majority of pledged delegates (1,991 or more votes) in the primaries and caucuses.  
*The party is now calling 'Superdelegates", 'Automatic Delegates', - these people are automatically made delegates to the convention based on their position within the party. 

if the convention is contested (i.e., more than one ballot is needed to select a nominee). , All delegates become unpledged, with an estimated 771 superdelegate votes coming into play.

For those subsequent ballots, a majority of all 4,750 delegates,  2,376 votes will be needed to secure the nomination. 

Given the large field, front-loaded calendar and the party's proportional allocation process, a contested convention can't be ruled out.

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