The goal of the primary is to choose the party’s candidate for President. In order to receive the nomination, the candidate, must win delegates. A delegate is pledged to support a specific candidate during the National Convention. Registered voters will cast their vote for the chosen candidate within the party. When you receive your ballot all the Democratic Presidential candidates’ names will appear in the front of the ballot. You check off your choice and when you turn the ballot over you will see the list of delegates. You choose the delegates you want to represent your Presidential candidate. They are listed as committed/pledged to a Presidential Candidate. You can vote for up to four women and three men.
As the primaries progress, the Democratic nomination will be decided by which candidate totals up the largest number of pledged state delegates from all the primaries. Maryland has 96 pledged delegates.
At the Presidential National Convention, the Presidential Candidate is chosen. He or she is selected by groups of delegates from each state. These will be the people that you voted for on the back of the ballot. After the speeches and demonstrations in support of each candidate, the delegates will begin to vote state by state. The candidate that receives at least 1,191 votes will be the Democratic Party’s Presidential Candidate.
Primaries are a vital and important part of the American Democratic process so it is essential that you vote. Remember to turn that ballot over to vote for the delegates!