The head of Louisiana’s Democratic Party has crisscrossed the state this month urging party faithful to launch a campaign to be a delegate at the Democratic National Convention.
“It is perhaps the most exciting thing you will go through in your life,” executive director Stephen Handwerk said, who has attended three conventions. “It’s second to having a child or getting married or maybe even buying home. It’s up there. You have the world’s attention on you for an entire week.”
More than half of Louisiana’s delegates – 33 -- are being chosen through grassroots elections within each of the state’s six congressional districts. Handwerk says Louisiana is a “proportional representation” state. That means the number of delegates is doled out by the percentage of votes the candidates receive in the presentational primary election set for March 5. Louisiana has 59 delegates in total.
One thing is for certain, Handwerk says, delegates have to pay their way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, and it’s pricey.
“People do raise money. They pass a collection plate. They get creative as to how to make sure they go. I’m not going to gloss over that. It is expensive. People should be prepared for that,” Handwerk said.
Handwerk says Louisiana will use a vote by mail program to carry out its delegate election in the congressional districts. He says that makes the delegate election process more accessible to people who live in rural areas. Qualifying runs through March 30. The last day for any registered democrat in Louisiana to be able to request a mail ballot is April 4. Democratic convention piece
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