Understanding the Role of National Conventions

What is a National Convention?

Securing the presidential nomination for a major party centers around the national convention and the delegates. Although voters across the country and territories cast ballots for their preferred candidate during their respective primaries or other contests, it’s actually at the national convention where the party nominee is confirmed and formally announced.

Every four years, each Presidential Election Year, the major political parties hold a national convention to select their nominees for President and Vice President for that year’s November General Election. Each convention is held in a location decided by the respective party’s national convention committee which is responsible for planning their nominating convention.

Delegates are selected in primary or caucus contests and are chosen because of their political leadership or activism. These delegates from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and several U.S. Territories then go to the national convention and confirm their choice of nominees for the Office of the U.S. President and Vice President. If a candidate does not secure the majority of a party’s delegates the convention delegates choose the nominee through additional rounds of voting.

At the convention, the presidential nominee will officially announce their running mate or who will run with them as vice president.

Along with selecting a final presidential nominee, the convention is where a party platform and rules of the party are adopted. This platform usually includes a statement of party principles, policy positions and goals. People from across the country such as business leaders, union leaders, activists, etc., are chosen to speak at the convention as they are seen by party leadership as the best to represent the ideals of the party.

Delegate Power at the National Conventions

Thousands of delegates are selected to represent their state, jurisdiction and/or community at the national convention, and they vote for U.S. President and Vice President nominees. These delegates can be early supporters of a candidate, political leaders, or party activists. The number of delegates vary from state-to-state and jurisdictions and is determined by a formula set by the respective parties.

Candidates win or are awarded delegates based on their performance in an election or caucus. The major parties have specific rules on how delegates are allocated to the candidates of the party.

There are generally two types of delegates:

  1. Pledged or bound delegates must support the candidate who won the jurisdiction’s primary or caucus process.
  2. Unpledged/unbound delegates or superdelegates can support any presidential candidate they choose; they are unbound by the results of a primary or caucus.

Depending upon the state or jurisdiction and/or party rules, some pledged or bound delegates may be free to vote for any candidate after the first round if no nominee wins the majority of delegates during the first canvas of voting at the national convention. Candidates must win a majority of delegates, pursuant to specific party rules, before winning the party’s nomination. Once the convention is underway, the delegates announce their votes through a ceremonial or celebratory event. Delegates for candidates, who are unsuccessful in their bid for office, may have a presence at the convention and advance ideological positions and views in the formal party platforms.