2007 California Elections Code Article 11. Selection Of Delegates And Alternates

CA Codes (elec:6200-6201)

6200.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, this
article governs the selection of district level delegates and
alternates, unpledged delegates, pledged party leaders and elected
official delegates, and at-large delegates and alternates.




6201.  (a) District level delegate positions shall be allocated to
presidential preferences through a primary proportional
representation system.
   (b) The 241 district-level delegates and 40 alternates shall be
elected by preprimary caucuses to slate delegates followed by a
presidential preference primary.
   (1) The preprimary caucuses shall be conducted on a date and time
specified by the Democratic State Central Committee.
   (2) The presidential preference primary shall be conducted on the
date provided by Section 1202.
   (c) The 241 delegates and 40 alternates shall be apportioned to
districts based on a formula giving equal weight to the vote for the
Democratic candidates in the most recent presidential and
gubernatorial elections.
   (d) (1) An individual may qualify as a candidate for
district-level delegate or alternate to the Democratic National
Convention by filing a statement of candidacy and pledge of support
with the state chair at the party office at 1401 21st Street, Suite
100, Sacramento, California 95814. Statements can be requested from
the state party beginning on a date specified by the Democratic State
Central Committee.  Candidacy statements can be returned beginning
at a date and time specified by the Democratic State Central
Committee and must be received by the party office no later than a
date and time specified by the Democratic State Central Committee.
   (2) All delegate candidates shall be identified as to presidential
preference, uncommitted or unpledged status at all levels which
determine presidential preference.
   (e) The California primary election is a "binding" primary.
Accordingly, delegate and alternate positions shall be allocated so
as to fairly reflect the expressed presidential or uncommitted status
of the primary voters in each district.  Therefore, the national
convention delegates elected at the district level shall be allocated
in proportion to the percentage of the primary vote won in that
district by each preference, except that preferences falling below a
15 percent threshold shall not be awarded any delegates or
alternates.
   (f) If no presidential preference reaches a 15 percent threshold,
the threshold shall be the percentage of the vote received at each
level of the delegate selection process by the front-runner minus 10
percent.
   (g) Presidential candidates shall certify their authorized
representatives to the state party chair by a date and time specified
by the Democratic State Central Committee.  The state party chair
shall convey to the presidential candidate, or that candidate's
authorized representative or representatives, by a date and time
specified by the Democratic State Central Committee, a list of all
persons who have filed for delegate or alternate pledged to that
presidential candidate.  Each presidential candidate, or that
candidate's authorized representative or representatives, shall file
with the state party chair by a date and time specified by the
Democratic State Central Committee, a list of all the candidates he
or she has approved, provided that approval is given to at least
three times the number of candidates for delegate and three times the
number of candidates for alternates to be selected.  Failure to
respond shall be deemed approval of all delegate and alternate
candidates submitted to the presidential candidate unless the
presidential candidate, or the candidate's authorized representative
or representatives, signifies otherwise in writing to the state party
chair no later than a date specified by the Democratic State Central
Committee.
   (h) Candidate and uncommitted caucuses shall be held on a date and
time specified by the Democratic State Central Committee to elect a
slate of potential delegates equal to at least the number of
delegates plus alternates allocated to the congressional district.
The California delegation shall be equally divided between delegate
men and delegate women, and alternate men and alternate women.  These
goals apply to the California delegation as a whole. Delegates and
alternates shall be considered separate groups for purposes of
achieving equal division.
   Provisions for achieving equal division at the district level
shall be as follows:  Each candidate and uncommitted caucus shall
elect a slate of potential delegates equal to at least the number of
delegates plus alternates allocated to that congressional district.
Potential delegates shall be ranked pursuant to procedures in
compliance with the Democratic State Central Committee's delegate
selection and affirmative action plan.  Following the primary,
delegate and alternate positions allocated to a presidential
candidate or uncommitted delegation shall be filled from the list of
ranked potential delegates in the order in which they are ranked.
   (i) The State Democratic Chair shall certify in writing to the
Secretary of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) the election of
the state's district level delegates and alternates to the Democratic
National Convention within three days after their election.