Democrats Abroad 2008
Delegate Selection Plan
The proposed 2008 Delegate Selection Plan reflects the evolution
of Democrats Abroad as an organization dedicated to enabling the
largest possible number of U.S. citizens living outside the United
States to participate in the process of:
- Choosing the Democratic Party's candidate for President
- Shaping the platform on which our candidate will run
- Electing both our delegates to the National Convention and
our representatives on the Democratic National Committee (DNC)
The proposed plan conforms to affirmative action and other rules
determined by the DNC. It ensures, for example, that our delegation
and DNC members are divided 50-50 between men and women and that
steps are taken to ensure inclusion of ethnic minorities and groups
that are habitually underrepresented in other delegations (youth,
people with disabilities, sexual minorities). The rules in question
cannot be changed by Democrats Abroad.
The proposed plan both builds on precedents set in Delegate Selection
Plans drawn up in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 and introduces innovations
designed to achieve the goal stated above, to enable the largest
possible number of U.S. citizens living outside the United States
to participate in the process. Major innovations have been:
A Global Primary in which voters participated by mail-in
ballot, internet voting, as well as by in-person balloting at the
voting centers (which replaced Country Committee and Chapter caucuses).
Greater flexibility in the scheduling and format of Regional
Caucuses, with an entirely electronic option, eliminating the
need for international travel and held at participants' convenience
on a range of dates prior to the Global Convention.
Delegate
selection process
Democrats Abroad worldwide elects delegates to the
Democratic National Presidential Convention in Denver, Colorado,
August 25-28.
After the Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary
February 5-12, electing delegates to represent candidates chosen
will take place.
This occurs first on a regional level in Brussels March 15-16. France
is part of the Europe-Middle East-Africa regional caucus.
Details: All DA France members are welcome to attend and run, but
voting in the regional caucus is limited to members of DAF’s
executive committee and chapter chairs.
It will be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Rue Gineste 3, Brussels 1210
- Tel: +32-2-2036200. You can make your reservation now. Special
DA rate: 129 euros/night (single or double occupancy, including
one breakfast). Booking code: DRF. Book online.
A welcome reception is tentively Friday evening March 14.
The next stage takes place on a world-wide level April 12-13 in
Vancouver, Canada, where the remainder of DA’s 22 delegates
to the National Convention will be selected.
This process mirrors the process that takes place in states across
the USA: Delegates are sent to the National Convention in the same
proportion as the candidates’ votes in the primaries. Delegates
for the most part are committed party members who run on county
and state levels (like our regional and global levels).
Various positions need to be filled in the delegate selection process.
Understand the process or enter the process yourself.
Delegate/candidacy form
The table below extracts the key milestones from the proposed Delegate
Selection Plan and indicates necessary action:
Country & Chapter Chairs Regional Vice
Chairs International Officers
Individual DA Members DA Delegation to the National Convention
| Date |
Who? |
Milestone |
Action required |
Notes |
DSP ref. |
|
Jan 4, 2008 |
International Officers |
Presidential Candidate
Registration Deadline |
Finalize
Mail-in ballots. |
|
¤ I.D |
|
Jan 15, 2008 |
Country & Chapter
Chairs |
Membership Cut-off
& Start of Mail-in Balloting
|
Early
voting begins by mailing ballots to all members requesting
a mail-in/fax ballot. This must be completed by Jan
31, 2008. |
This is the cut-off date for membership figures for
distributing National Convention Delegates amongst the regions.
US citizens may continue to join DA and vote either in person
or by Internet during the week of February 5-12, 2008. |
¤ ii.E.1.a |
|
Mar 1, 2008
|
International Officers |
Announcing Global
Primary Results |
International
Chair announces Global Primary results (earlier if counting
is completed earlier).
International
Chair notifies Regional Vice Chairs of the allocation of
National Convention Delegates to be elected by the Regional
Caucuses and their allocation among the Presidential Candidates. |
Allocations are based on the results of the Global
Primary and the Regional Democratic Strength, taking into
account votes cast by all members of Democrats Abroad in
each Region. |
¤ II.F.1.c |
|
Mar 1, 2008 |
Individual members |
Delegate Filing
Deadline |
Send
Notification of Candidacy forms to the International Chair
if you wish to be a candidate only for National Convention
Delegate elected at Regional Caucuses. |
Anyone who wishes to run for any of the various spots
in the delegation must file a candidacy form, which is then
submitted for approval to the Presidential Candidate in
question. |
¤ II.B.
Exhibit D |
|
Mar 3, 2008 |
International Officers
|
Notification to
Presidential Candidates |
International
Chair notifies the Presidential Candidates of the names
of our members who wish to run for the above slots and who
are pledged to them, respectively, and forwards their candidacy
forms. |
The Presidential Candidates must notify us of their
approval or rejection of these candidates by March
12, 2008. |
¤ II.C.1 & 2 |
|
Mar 14, 2008
|
Individual
members |
Delegate Filing
Deadline |
Send
Notification of Candidacy forms to the International Chair
if you wish to be a candidate only for National Convention
Delegate elected at the Global Convention, Pledged Party
Leader and Elected Official (PLEO) Delegate, Alternate,
or National Convention Standing Committees. |
Anyone who wishes to run for any of the various spots
in the delegation must file a candidacy form, which is then
submitted for approval to the Presidential Candidate in
question. |
¤ II.B.1
Exhibit D |
|
Mar 15-Apr 11,
2008 |
Regional Vice Chairs |
Regional Caucuses |
Regional
Caucuses are held by each of the 3 DA regions to elect:
9 National Convention Delegates in total
(based on the percentage of votes received by each presidential
candidate in the Global Primary)
1 DNC member per region
|
The participants in the Regional Caucuses are all Chairs,
Vice Chairs, other elected Officers, and Chapter Chairs
(if any) of each DA Country Committee in the region plus
the respective Regional Vice Chair. Attendance at the Regional
Caucuses is open to all DA members. Any DA member may run
for National Convention Delegate, but must be pre-approved
by the Presidential Candidates (as above). |
¤ II.F.1.a to c
¤ II.F.2 &
3 |
|
Apr 12, 2008
|
International Officers
|
Global Convention |
DA Global
Convention is held to elect:
5 National Convention Delegates and one or more Alternates
(based on the percentage of votes received by each presidential
candidate in the Global Primary)
3 DNC members
|
The participants in the Global Convention are all Country
Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs, all National Convention
Delegates elected at the Regional Caucuses, and any Unpledged
National Convention Delegates. The latter includes DA's
DNC members and members-elect plus any Distinguished Party
Leaders (defined as, e.g., former Presidents, Vice Presidents,
Speakers of the House or Minority Leaders). Attendance at
the Global Convention is open to all DA members.
Under DA's bylaws, the 3 additional DNC members are
elected by the members of the DPCA and the delegation to
the national convention; those two bodies comprise the Global
Convention
|
¤ II.G.1.b &
c
¤ II.G.2.e
¤ II.J.3 & 4
¤ II.K.2 & 3
DA Bylaws, ¤ 7.2 |
|
Apr 12, 2008
|
DA Delegation
to the National Convention |
Immediately following
the Global Convention, |
DA Delegation to the National Convention
meets to elect its Delegation Chair, who appoints the Delegation
Page, and to elect 3 persons to sit on the National Convention
Standing Committees (one each for Platform, Rules, and Credentials)
|
|
¤ I.K |
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