After the primaries and caucuses, most political parties hold National Conventions.
What Happens at a National Political Convention?
Step 1
Conventions finalize a party’s choice for Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees.
Step 2
To become the Presidential nominee, a candidate typically has to win a majority of delegates. This usually happens through the party’s primaries and caucuses. It’s then confirmed through a vote of the delegates at the National Convention.
Step 3
If no candidate gets the majority of a party’s delegates during the primaries and caucuses, convention delegates choose the nominee. This happens through additional rounds of voting.
Types of Delegates at a National Convention
There are two main types of delegates:
In rare cases, none of the party’s candidates has a majority of delegates going into the convention. The convention is considered “contested.” Delegates will then pick their Presidential nominee through one or more rounds of voting.
Pledged, or bound delegates must support the candidate they were awarded to through the primary or caucus process.
Unpledged delegates or superdelegates can support any Presidential candidate they choose.
Contested and Brokered Conventions
- In the first round of voting, pledged delegates usually have to vote for the candidate they were awarded to at the start of the convention. Unpledged delegates don’t.
- Superdelegates can’t vote in the first round unless a candidate already has enough delegates through primaries and caucuses to get the nomination.
- If no nominee wins in the first round, the convention is considered “brokered.” The pledged delegates may choose any candidate in later rounds of voting. Superdelegates can vote in these later rounds.
- Balloting continues until one candidate receives the required majority to win the nomination.
At the convention, the Presidential nominee officially announces their selection of a Vice Presidential running mate.
