Superdelegate

Superdelegates are a part of the Democratic primary system, by which the Democratic Party chooses its presidential candidate. Primaries are conducted across the nation, during which the average Democratic Party members vote for their choice. Delegates carry these votes to the Democratic National Convention, voting as their constituents chose. Superdelegates vote in the same manner as regular delegates but are allowed to vote for whichever candidate they prefer. In most cases, superdelegate slots are reserved for high-ranking party officials and the political elite. Some activists argue that this system is undemocratic and weighs the votes of these officials far more heavily than the average party member. However, others argue that superdelegates’ immense political experience should be heavily weighted.

In 2018, the Democratic Party significantly reduced the power of superdelegates leading up to the 2020 presidential election. In the past, superdelegates had been allowed to vote in the nominating process. After the new regulations took effect, superdelegates were not allowed to vote on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention. Their votes would only count if the party nomination was contested. This change made it more difficult for superdelegates to change the outcome of the majority voting public.

Background

The United States functions as a representative democracy, also called a republic. This means that voters elect people to represent them. They elect local politicians, representatives, senators, and even the president of the United States. Although the average citizen does not get to vote on most of the nation’s major policy decisions, they get a say in who does.

Historically, the candidate fielded by a political party for the presidential election was chosen by party elites. The process was not democratic in any way. Primary elections occurred far less often than they do today. When they did occur, the results were treated as a guideline. In many cases, it was more important to be on good terms with high-ranking members of a political party than to win primary elections.

The primary elections of 1968 are one of the most famous examples of this process. At the time of the election, Americans were divided over the Vietnam War (1955–1975). The issue had become polarizing. Many Americans were strongly in favor of stopping the spread of communism. Other Americans were strongly against any unnecessary wars. Senator Eugene McCarthy had decided to run for president on a platform opposing the Vietnam War. He participated in numerous primary elections, courting a significant percentage of the votes. However, Hubert Humphrey had decided to run on a pro-war platform. Although Humphrey had not participated in primary elections, he appealed to the powerful leaders of the Democratic Party. Humphrey was given the party nomination, even though McCarthy had won more primaries than any other candidate

Humphrey’s nomination further polarized the American people. Protesters were incensed, and violence broke out at the Democratic National Convention. In response, the McGovern-Fraser Commission was formed. This commission changed the rules regarding party nominations for elections, mandating that presidential candidates are to be chosen in a manner accessible to all party members. The chosen manner was primaries, which exploded in popularity.

Overview

Despite this change, Democratic candidates failed badly in the following presidential elections. In 1972, Democratic candidate George McGovern lost to Richard Nixon in forty nine states. Later, President Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Reagan by 10 percent of the popular vote. By 1981, the Democrats had decided that choosing the party candidate in an entirely democratic fashion was ineffective.

In an effort to regain its success in presidential elections, the Democratic Party formed the Hunt Commission. This commission was dedicated to redesigning the party’s electoral processes in a way that would bring the Democrats greater success in elections.

The commission felt that party leaders and high-ranking officials needed to be given more influence in the process of choosing candidates. It argued that their experience in politics gave them a better eye for successful candidates. Some thought that argument was elitist, and that control needed to be held by the people. As a compromise, the commission created superdelegates.

Both delegates and superdelegates play a major role in the nomination of a Democratic Party candidate. In a primary, voters use a secret ballot system to choose their preferred candidate. Delegates are tasked with taking the results of this vote to the party convention. Delegates are expected to honor the vote of their district. Most people campaign for their position as a delegate. However, some positions are reserved for high-profile or veteran members of the party.

Superdelegates function similarly to delegates. They are allowed to vote for the party nomination at the convention. For a candidate to successfully secure the nomination, the candidate must secure a majority of the votes at the convention. However, unlike delegates, superdelegates are not bound to represent the will of a particular geographic area. They are free to vote for whichever candidate they believe will best represent the party.

Superdelegate status is given to high-profile Democratic leaders. It allows the most experienced and skilled politicians to maintain a measure of control over whom the party runs as its presidential candidate. One-fifth of the delegates at the Democratic National Convention are superdelegates, and thus can choose to vote based on their personal preference. During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, 747 out of 5,083 total delegates were superdelegates. This gave superdelegates a significant say in the party’s nomination, while also allowing the majority of the voting power to remain with the voting public and their pledged delegates.

In 2018, the Democratic Party agreed to limit the power of superdelegates. In the past, superdelegates had been allowed to cast votes on the first ballot at presidential nominating conventions. After the new regulations went into effect, they were relegated to only selecting a nominee if the nomination contest became deadlocked.

The Republican Party, the other major political party in the United States, does not use superdelegates. However, it does have unpledged delegates. Unpledged delegates fulfill the same function as superdelegates.

Some political activists argue that the superdelegate system is undemocratic. They argue that it gives disproportionate weight to the votes of political elites and concentrates too much power in the hands of a few. Others argue that more weight should be given to the opinions of those most familiar with politics, and that the superdelegate system reflects that reality.

Bibliography

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