Frequently asked questions about delegate selection

Q. How many delegates does Oregon have?

A. Oregon will send 65 delegates and 9 alternates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Of those, 53 delegates and the alternates will be elected at congressional district and state conventions on June 7th and 21st.

Q. Where and when are the national delegates chosen?

A. Some delegates are chosen at conventions in each congressional district on June 7. Other delegates are chosen at a state convention on June 21. Convention locations are posted here.

Q. How many delegates and alternates are chosen for each district?

A.That depends on the district. The numbers are based on the Democratic vote for governor in 2006 and for president in 2004. Here are the numbers:

• First district: 7 delegates and 1 alternate
• Second district: 5 delegates and 1 alternate
• Third district: 9 delegates and 1 alternate
• Fourth district: 7 delegates and 1 alternate
• Fifth district: 6 delegates and 1 alternate

Q. How many delegates are chosen at the state level?

A. Nineteen delegates and four alternates are elected at the state convention. Twelve delegates and the four alternates are at-large, meaning that any Democrat can run for these positions. Six delegates are Party Leader/Elected Official delegates, and one is an unpledeged delegate.

Q. Who can vote on the delegates?

A. That depends on the location:

• For the congressional district conventions, any registered Democrat can file (using this website) to attend their district convention and vote on the delegates. If you are running, you should get as many of your supporters to file to attend the convention as possible.
• For the state convention, people who can vote are first elected at the district conventions. If you want to go to the state convention to support someone, you can file (using this website) to be a delegate to the state convention.

Q. What happens at the state convention?

A. The delegates elected to the state convention from the district conventions meet and elect national delegates. Some are called at large delegates, and others are called party leader/elected official (PLEO) delegates.

Q. OK, I'm confused. What can I file for?

A. You can file for five different positions:

• Delegate to a district convention. File for this position if:
  • You want to support someone running for delegate to the state or national conventions.
  • You want to run for delegate from the district to the state or national convention. You need to file to vote for yourself.
• Delegate to the state convention. File for this position if:
  • You want to vote for national delegates or support someone at the state convention.
  • You want to run for delegate to the national convention at the state convention. You need to file to vote for yourself.
• Delegate to the national convention from your district. File for this position if:
  • You want to run for delegate to the national convention. Make sure you also file to be a delegate to the district convention.
• Delegate to the national convention from the state convention. File for this position if:
  • You want to run for delegate to the national convention. Make sure you also file to be a delegate to the state convention.
• Party Leader/Elected Official (PLEO) delegate to the national convention from the state convention. File for this position if:
  • You want to run for delegate to the national convention and you are eligible to be elected as a delegate.

Q. Who is eligible to be a PLEO delegate?

A. PLEOs include big city mayors and state-wide elected officials, state legislative leaders, state legislators, and other state, county, congressional district or caucus and local elected officials and party leaders. County party officers are considered party leaders; precinct committee persons are not.

Q. I really want to go to the national convention. How can I maximize my chances?

A. There are several things you can do:

• Make sure your supporters file to go to the district convention and file to support the same candidate you are supporting
• File for election as a delegate at both the district and state conventions
• Ask your supporters to file for election as delegates to the state convention
• Prepare a statement for the Delegates' Pamphlet
• Run a campaign by telling your story to the other delegates at the district and state conventions
• Read our How to Run flyer for more tips

Q. Do I have to declare a candidate?

A. Yes. Only supporters of Barack Obama can vote for delegates to represent Obama at the convention. Only supporters of Hillary Clinton can vote for delegates to represent Clinton at the convention. If you have supporters coming to the district convention or running to be delegates to the state convention, they must declare for the same candidate.

Q. I have more questions. Can I get help?

A. Yes! If you have questions about the rules, please contact DNC Committeeman Wayne Kinney, who is our expert on delegate selection. If you have questions about using this website, contact Alex by email or at 503-239-8695.

More resources

Basic delegate selection plan information

Congressional district convention locations