UPDATE: THE DELEGATE SELECTION MASS SELECTION MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.
The meeting will be combined with the Congressional meeting which has been postponed until May 30th. Please check here for important updates.
What is a “Delegate Selection Mass Meeting?”
Every four years, Democrats from around the country gather at the Democratic National Convention to nominate a candidate for the office of President of the United States. Each state sends a delegation of Democrats to represent them in that nominating process. This year, Missouri’s delegation will number 84 people, 78 delegates and 6 alternates.
The process to select those delegates begins with an open, “mass” meeting of all Democrats in the area. In most of Missouri, this meeting is held the county level. In St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and Jackson County, this meeting is held at the ward/township level. Every one of these county/ward/township meetings will occur at the same date and time – April 6, 2020 at 7:30 PM. The meeting is organized and chaired by the elected Democratic Committeepeople from that county/ward/township. The 28th Ward’s meeting will be held at the Mahler Ballroom, 4915 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108.
What about Coronavirus?
As of now, every county/ward/township mass meeting in the state is still scheduled as planned.
Please read this March 12, 2020 update from the Missouri Democratic Party and make sure to check here and on Facebook for any updates.
What happens at the meeting? Do I need to bring anything?
To be eligible to participate you must a) be 18 years old, b) be a US Citizen, c) be a resident of Missouri, and d) have voted in the March 10, 2020 Democratic Primary Election. You must bring with you some form of identification (drivers license, state ID, voter registration card are all acceptable.) If you would like to run as a delegate, you must complete the MDP’s Form MM either before the meeting or at the meeting. You do not need to be a member of the 28th Ward Regular Democratic Club to participate.
The Committeepeople will chair the meeting. Participants will split into two caucuses depending on which of the two presidential candidates they support between those that received enough votes in the primary to qualify. Each caucus will then nominate individuals to be delegates. Those individuals will be given one minute to make speeches and then a vote will be conducted by paper ballot to select delegates to the congressional district mass meeting. The 28th Ward is apportioned three delegates to send. For more information on the process, see the additional resources linked below.
What happens next?
Delegates selected at April 6 county/ward/township mass meetings will then advance to the congressional district mass meeting on April 30 at 7:30. The 1st Congressional District Meeting will occur at Harris-Stowe University Clay Center, Foyer Room 201, 10 N Compton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103.
At this meeting, eight delegates will be selected from each of the county/ward/township winners to go to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.
If a delegate is not selected at the congressional district meeting, they may then participate in the state convention meeting on June 20th. There, fifteen additional at-large delegates will be selected along with six alternates.
Where can I find additional information?
The complete, official Missouri Democratic Party delegate selection plan can be found here.
A PowerPoint describing the process can be found here.
Information on how delegates are apportioned between candidates and congressional districts can be found here.
Please check here or on Facebook for any updates.
If you have any questions, contact committeeman Mike Gras at [email protected].