Elections & terms
convention delegate
A person chosen to represent voters at a party's nominating convention, pledged by primary or caucus results under rules the party itself writes.
In full
Presidential nominations are formally decided by delegates, allocated among candidates according to each party's rules, which differ by state and by party in whether allocation is proportional or winner-take-all. Democrats also seat automatic delegates, party officials and elected leaders once called superdelegates, whose role in the first ballot was curtailed in 2018.
Also written as: delegate, delegates, superdelegate
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.