Call for interested delegates from eastern Washington

Presidential election season begins far before November for the country as delegates are selected and conventions held the spring and summer before nationwide voting takes place on the first Tuesday of November.

In the 9th Legislative District the process for selecting Democratic delegates for the district is in process and runs through April 24. Selection for Republican delegates in the district runs through April 17.

Delegates are persons designated to act for or represent others. To become a delegate, one must be a registered voter and also be willing to publicly declare oneself as Democrat or Republican, depending on the affiliated party in which one is running as a delegate for.

“This election of delegates at the lowest legislative district level selects delegates to the next level, which is the Congressional District level,” said Democratic Chair of the 9th Legislative District Carolyn Wyatt.

For both parties, delegates are generally elected in person at county conventions or Legislative District caucuses.

Wyatt said because of the current COVID-19 crisis, the Executive Committee of Washington State Democratic Central Committee has canceled the in-person Legislative District caucuses and county conventions that were scheduled for May 3.

“Because of the current pandemic, however, this year’s delegate election will be done by an online platform,” Wyatt said. “Elected or appointed Precinct Committee Officers will be the only persons eligible to vote. The need to change this process of electing delegates without face to face meetings has been quite a challenge.”

In the 9th Legislative District, a total of 19 democratic delegates will be selected, based upon the March 10 primary votes in the district.

Even though there is only one main candidate for each party, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, parties that had viable candidates during the Presidential Primary Election are eligible for delegates.

“This year the only viable Presidential candidates coming out of the Washington State primary race was Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders,” Wyatt said.

To be considered viable, a democratic candidate must have received 15 percent or more of the primary votes in the state.

In the district, 10 delegates will be awarded to Bernie Sanders and nine will be awarded to Joe Biden. Even though Sanders has dropped out of the race, those delegates will still go to him.

“These 19 elected delegates will be electors of four total National delegates from the 5th Congressional District,” Wyatt said. “Legislative District delegates may stand for election to be a national delegate if they wish.”

Wyatt said all delegates from the Legislative District will still be able to go to the state convention where they will elect additional at-large national delegates. The 5th Congressional District will elect four national delegates voted on by the Legislative District delegates.

“The Democratic party is encouraging diversity in its representation and urges those who identify as a member of an under-represented group to run for a delegate position,” Wyatt said. “Washington Democrats are encouraged to apply to run for delegate or alternate delegate.”

Democrats interested in running for delegate in the district can apply online at waelectioncenter.com by 5 p.m. April 24.

The Democratic State Convention will be held June 12-14 in Tacoma and the Republican State Convention will be June 24-27 in Everett.

National Conventions for both the Democratic and Republican parties will be held in August 2020. The Republican National Convention will be in Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 24-27 and the Democratic National Convention will be in Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 17.