By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Wednesday, June 10, the Alabama Democratic Party has posted its Delegate Selection Plan for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Alabama Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Worley said that the Plan is available on the Alabama Democratic Party’s website for a period of 30 days, beginning June 4, 2015. The plan contains a calendar of events and deadlines prior to Alabama’s newly passed Presidential Primary Election date, March 1, 2016.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb, and Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee are all likely Democratic Party candidates for 2016 at this point.
While Alabama has not voted for a Democrat for President since 1976 the decision to move the Primary up to March 1 means, that the Alabama Democrats’ 58 delegates could be critical for which candidates can remain in the race after March 1, ultimately deciding which Democrat gets the nomination for President.
The Democratic nominee has won four of the last six Presidential elections nationally.
According to the press release by Alabama Democratic Party Chair Nancy Worley, after the public comment period, the Plan will be submitted to the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) for final approval. Finally the Democratic National Committee will review the plan following the SDEC’s approval.
The Plan specifies how Democratic Presidential Candidates gain access to the ballot, how Alabama’s 58 delegates and 4 alternates are determined in congressional district elections and by the State Democratic Executive Committee, and how a registered voter may qualify and run for a delegate position.
The Alabama Young Democrats released a statement expressing support for the delegate plan, “We’re glad to see that the Party is incorporating young people in their delegate selection process, and we feel confident that they have set our youth participation goals fairly. We have had very productive conversations with Chairwoman Worley and we are confident that she is fully invested in growing youth involvement in the Party. We’re looking forward to the delegate selection process and to giving more young people an opportunity to represent Alabama on the national level.”
The process to adopt the 2016 Delegate Selection Plan officially began June 3, 2015, with an Affirmative Action Committee meeting to review, modify and adopt the Draft Plan, including an Affirmative Action Plan. The Alabama Democratic Party seeks a diverse group of candidates on the March 1 ballot.
To read the plan in its entirety visit the Alabama Democrats website:
www.aldemocrats.org
The public may comment on the posted plan by sending a message to the Democratic Party via a link on the website, aldemocrats.org, calling the Party office, (334) 262-2221, or writing the Alabama Democratic Party, P.O. Box 950, Montgomery, AL 36101.
Nancy Worley is the Chairwoman of the Alabama Democratic Party. She spent more than 25 years as an educator in the Decatur public school system, and is a former Secretary of State and former president of the Alabama Education Association.
