What is a Delegate and Superdelegate

What is a Delegate and Superdelegate

LANSING - As part of the national election for the President of the United States, the republican and democratic conventions were just held, but do you know who attends them?

These conventions are attended by people called delegates and for the democratic side, super-delegates as well.

At both conventions, delegates attend on behalf of candidates that they're already pledged to.

“For the democratic national convention, you have your regular delegates that are split up by the results of their state,” said Susan Demas, writer and editor of Inside Michigan Politics. “You also have super delegates and those are the people who have been involved in the party for a long time.”
According to Demas, these people include U.S. senators, members of congress, and members of the Democratic National Committee among others. Super delegates are free to cast their ballot for whoever they want and unlike delegates, they are not bound by the results of their state.

In order to capture the republican primary election, a candidate will need 1,237 delegates. Democrats will need 2,382.

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