Chapter Four

Securing the Nomination

There are presently a total of 4,048 delegate votes to the 2008 Democratic National Convention that will be cast by 4,069 delegates. The difference is that certain delegates from American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands and Democrats Abroad cast ½ delegate votes.

A candidate needs a majority of the total number of delegate votes in order to secure the Party’s nomination. Presently, 2,025 delegate votes are needed to secure the nomination. (Note: This number does not include delegates from Florida and Michigan, the delegations of which were reduced by 100% by action of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, pursuant to the Party’s Delegate Selection Rules, because the State Parties in these states submitted plans for holding binding events prior to the earliest date allowed by the Rules.)