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Bernie Convention 2016 
(Delegate numbers have not been officially certified yet)      
Check here regularly to find news, views and information
about the Democratic National Convention – and the start of the 
NEW POLITICAL REVOLUTION  - and all the stuff that goes on
leading up to the 3 day big event in July.
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THE DISTRICT CAUCUS –
Selecting Delegates
The Pledged delegate delegation from CT representing Bernie Sanders at Convention should be 26 people.  17 of these people will be elected at 5 convention delegate caucuses to be held May 31 probably around 7pm at a single designated location in each congressional district.
Each of the 5 districts will have an assigned number of Bernie delegates to elect. Some will elect 3 some will elect 4.  Half of the delegates will be female, half male – on Caucus night the gender designation will be assigned so it matches diversity compliance.  The districts will know in advance how many people to elect and how many of each gender.
Caucus locations are set up a few days in advance of the caucus.  Candidates work to get their people out to the caucus wherever it is to vote for them.  Only registered Democrats may attend and vote at Caucus.   On average, there are in range of 140,000 democrats in each congressional district.. A good, lively, active caucus might have 250 democrats in the room…that rarely happens. There is no way to predict.. Any Caucus goer should dedicate the entire evening.. Uncontested caucuses go fast (an hour or 2) a big caucus with lots of candidates and multiple votes will take longer

AGENDA
- Voters arrive at Caucus
     ( early so they can check in – and verify that they are democrats  and live in the designated district..Bring ID)
-  At the appointed time doors are closed and the number of people in the room are counted
      (the basis for all voting)
-  A temporary chair opens the meeting and presides over the election of a permanent chair
-  The chair then gets a Secretary and maybe other Caucus officers elected/appointed and lines up
       ballot counters.
-  Once formalities are done the floor is opened up for nominations
-  When nominations are closed – People vote. 
-  Voting continues until the delegates are selected ( many variables on how single/multiple balloting will work)
         (quite often, candidates who know they do not have votes to win withdraw, making the balloting process
                                            easier for remaining candidates and attendees)
-  When the allotted number of official delegates are elected the Caucus ends – the Secretary records the official outcome and insures the information is sent to the Democratic State Central Committee

WHO CAN RUN FOR DELEGATE
Any registered Democrat can seek a delegate position.  They must fill out the application form and submit to CT Dems by May 2 to be eligible.  No nominations from the floor. 

WHO CAN WIN A DELEGATE SPOT
There is no way to describe the multitude of scenarios for winning a delegate spot. It is a complicated multi-dimensional process that has way more political substance over democratic form…Ultimately all delegates are approved or rejected by the Sanders campaign.   But, people who become delegates are most often very active campaigners who dedicated themselves on the campaign trail,  help to build a diverse slate, are connected by their integration with the campaign, turn out big numbers of caucus goers to vote for them (it is very hard to get folks to go to Caucus) … or many other variables. There is no hard and fast rule.
   26   Bernie delegates will be elected. 
   17   in Caucus on May 31 –
    9    elected at the delegation meeting –
         At-Large or as PLEOs on June 7.
    3 people will be chosen as alternates
Any democrat can attend and vote for delegates at Caucus.  Only delegates and candidates will attend June 7 meeting


AT-LARGE – PLEO
6 people will be elected at a meeting on June 7 as At-Large delegates. Numbers of delegates are allocated by state Primary vote totals for the candidates – Bernie will have 6 At Large Delegates
The pool of official delegates at the time – Caucus delegates and Super Delegates vote for the people to fill out the at-large component ( a much smaller – tighter process)
3 people will be elected as PLEO delegates – Party Leaders/Elected Officials.  Bernie will have 3 people in those spots.  Same as above they are elected June 7 by the pool of official delegates.

ALTERNATES
3 people will be chosen to act as At Large Alternates. They will be at convention standing by to take the place of and delegate who may not be able to attend and vote on the floor. Alternates are often not seated with the delegation as seats are always at premium.. we’ll see how it works in Philly.. It is a way to get in the door and do more witnessing of history as opposed to actively voting.
Alternates are chosen June 6 at the delegates meeting.
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This process is hardly a model of democracy.  But the makers of the rules designed it this way. It can’t be changed for this round. It can be changed moving forward..if we fight to change it..and the fight won’t be easy.  The design provides a lot of control.  The ones who get to drive don’t often want to hand over the steering wheel ..so there’s the conflict.  Democracy in its best form does not control outcomes.. In its weakest form it’s called Party Rules…
Good delegates know the rules of play and how to work them.  My #1 political rule is …Know how the system works…then work the system.  I have been to the last 4 conventions 3 times as a Delegate once as an Alternate.. I withdrew from my first delegate run – even though I had a good number of votes …but in 1992, the system door opened for me to be a Presidential Elector.  I voted for Bill Clinton in the Electoral College that year… Will never forget that moment…just a tad more meaningful to me than all the Convention fun…even though I hate the Electoral College system and work to abolish it…but learning up close how the system works helps provide insight even for re-working the system.
We need to know who is running – we need to start planning and working this system …for Bernie.. so we can help heat up the Revolution … in the Revolutionary City of Philadelphia
Call me – contact me – ask questions and if I don’t have an answer.. I need to have it – so I’ll find that answer
Facts and process cited here are as I currently understand them –
              do correct me if I missed the mark…
My opinions will not likely ever be corrected… or even correct…

Leo Canty
unionleo@aol.com
All postings, comments, opinions here are made by Leo Canty and volunteers.
This is not an official part of Bernie 2016
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                                Lots more info to come