Maintenant que le président Biden a décidé de mettre fin à sa campagne de réélection, deux voies s’offrent à lui pour le remplacer à la tête du ticket démocrate.
L’une d’entre elles est un vote virtuel qui désignerait un nouveau candidat début août, et l’autre est une convention « ouverte », un scénario que le parti n’a pas connu depuis 1968.
Une convention est ouverte lorsqu’aucun candidat n’arrive avec une majorité claire de délégués, l’événement se transforme alors en une mini-primaire dans laquelle les candidats se bousculent pour persuader les délégués de voter pour eux.
Le risque de chaos est élevé et le temps presse. Certains États ont jusqu’au mois d’août pour se présenter aux élections générales et le vote anticipé commence dans certains endroits en septembre. Les dirigeants des partis vont donc probablement essayer de régler la question des nominations avant le début de la Convention nationale démocrate, le 19 août.
2024 Presidential Nominating Process:
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R48122
2024 Presidential Nominating Process:
Frequently Asked Questions
The presidential nominating process is one of the most complex aspects of American politics.
This report provides brief answers to selected frequently asked questions about that process in
- In some cases, the topics addressed herein are developing rapidly and are subject to
change.
Both major parties select their presidential and vice-presidential nominees every four years
through an extended process that can involve caucuses, conventions, primary elections, or a combination thereof. Each party
establishes its own rules about how nominees are selected and how state parties may participate in that process, culminating
in the quadrennial national nominating conventions. These meetings are important occasions in the nation’s political life and
traditionally mark the end of the nomination phase of the presidential campaign season for their respective parties. For 2024,
the Democratic Convention is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago, IL. The Republican Convention is scheduled for July
15-18 in Milwaukee, WI.
Democrats and Republicans use different methods to select their delegates within states and to allocate their votes at the
national conventions. These include a combination of delegates who are pledged to particular candidates and selected at state
nominating events, as well as those who are automatic delegates by virtue of their party positions. Both parties may penalize
states that do not adhere to party rules surrounding delegate selection and allocation.
Both major parties award delegates based at least partially on a state’s previous support for the party’s presidential nominees.
For 2024, Democrats expected to allocate a total of 4,521 delegates, and Republicans expected to allocate a total of 2,429
delegates.
The presidential nominating process is a political one, not a governmental one. Political parties are private entities and are
generally free to set their own rules for how they select presidential and vice-presidential nominees. Federal or state election
laws set some boundaries, particularly those guaranteeing fundamental voting-rights protections (e.g., through the Voting
Rights Act). Federal campaign finance law also regulates all aspects of fundraising and spending affecting presidential
campaigns, including during the nomination phase.
Congress does not have formal institutional roles in the presidential nominating process, which is governed by political
parties. Congress typically does not legislate on the nomination process itself. Individual Members of Congress can and often
do choose to be actively involved, in their unofficial capacities, in presidential campaigns and to attend presidential
nominating conventions as delegates. Policy matters related to the nominating process could arise as part of the House and
Senate’s elections oversight or appropriations duties, such as through providing funding for convention security or
considering of federal election legislation.
This report provides general policy information about the nomination process. It does not provide detailed discussion of party
rules, which the parties alone interpret and enforce. Members of Congress or staff members who are participating in the
nominating process or serving as convention delegates often consult with their state or national party committees regarding
their individual roles and responsibilities, and interpretation of party rules.
This report will be updated in the event of substantial changes in the 2024 presidential nominating process
Contents
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
Scope of the Report……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Frequently Asked Questions……………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Does Congress play a formal role in the nominating process? …………………………………………. 3
What roles might Members of Congress play at the national nominating conventions? ………. 3
What is the relationship between the nomination phase of the election and the general
election? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
What are the different types of nominating methods?……………………………………………………… 4
What roles do federal or state elections laws, versus party rules, have in the
nominating process?………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Were there notable changes in the nominating calendar for 2024?……………………………………. 6
What is the purpose of the national party conventions?…………………………………………………… 6
When and where is the 2024 Democratic National Convention? ……………………………………… 6
When and where is the 2024 Republican National Convention? ………………………………………. 6
How are national convention delegates selected and allocated? ……………………………………….. 7
Democrats…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
Republicans…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Do U.S. territories receive convention delegates? ………………………………………………………… 10
How do national party rules address whether delegates are bound to support specific
candidates at the national conventions? ……………………………………………………………………. 10
Democrats…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
Republicans…………………………………………………………………………………………………………11
What is the significance of the reported virtual nominating event before the 2024
Democratic National Convention?…………………………………………………………………………….11
How are the conventions financed? ……………………………………………………………………………..11
Does the federal government finance convention security?……………………………………………. 12
What is a contested convention? ………………………………………………………………………………… 12
When were the most recent contested conventions? ……………………………………………………… 12
What if a nominee vacancy arises after the convention concludes? ………………………………… 13
Democrats…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
Republicans……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
Other Potential Considerations Applying to Both Parties…………………………………………. 13