{"id":351461,"date":"2020-03-17T09:36:43","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T14:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/voting\/how-u-s-elections-work\/what-is-a-party-convention.html"},"modified":"2024-02-21T14:04:46","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T19:04:46","slug":"what-is-a-party-convention","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/voting\/how-u-s-elections-work\/what-is-a-party-convention.html","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Party Convention?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What Is a Party Convention?<\/h1>\n
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\n By Lyle Therese A. Hilotin-Lee, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Every major election cycle, particularly those that lead to a presidential election, features a convention for the participating political parties. These conventions serve as a meeting of party delegates, coming together to nominate party candidates for office and establishing the party’s platform.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

Less formally, conventions get party delegates and members organized and excited for an upcoming election day. This is a crucial step in preparing for the general election. It encourages people to become registered voters<\/a> and increases voter registration turnout.
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Conventions can occur at several local, statewide, or national levels. The most significant party conventions in the United States are the national conventions of the Republican and Democratic parties. Both conventions happen every four years during the summer before a presidential election.<\/p>\r\n

Thousands of people attend national conventions. The attendees include activists, party officials, election officials, volunteers, local business leaders, and news media.<\/p>\r\n

National Conventions: Origins in Conflict<\/h2>\r\n

National conventions have their roots in the early 1800s. At that time, members of Congress would meet with their party caucuses to determine a nominee. But as more newly settled western states started clashing with eastern states over nominee choices, a convention to resolve the matter became practical.<\/p>\r\n

Those tensions set the tone for the 1824 Democratic-Republican<\/a> convention. Factions of delegates refused to back the nominee endorsed by the party caucus.<\/p>\r\n

Nowadays, thanks to the party’s primary elections, it’s rare that a nominee hasn’t been mostly decided on before a party convention begins. The last time a national party convention contained any drama regarding the nominee was in 1976. Here, delegates could not decide between President Gerald Ford and challenger Ronald Reagan.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

The Role of Delegates<\/h2>\r\n

Delegates, who act as voting representatives at the convention, pick a nominee. The number of votes a delegate carries represents a given state or territory and is determined by population and the number of Congressional representatives. Delegate attendees usually range in number from 2,500 to 5,000.<\/p>\r\n

A delegate can be any registered member of a given party. While delegates of the two major parties in the U.S. usually pledge their vote to one candidate, there are also unpledged delegates<\/a>. Unpledged delegates aren’t required to have party affiliation or pledge their support to a particular presidential candidate.<\/p>\r\n

In states with presidential primaries, voters choose their delegates through a primary ballot. In states with caucuses, the caucus picks the delegate at the party’s state convention.<\/p>\r\n

The candidate must secure most of the delegates available for that political party to ensure a nomination. The number of delegates available may vary from one election cycle to another. For instance, in the 2016 election, the Republican party candidate must secure 1,237 delegates for the party nomination. For Democrats, the candidate needs to earn 2,383 delegates. Meanwhile, in this year’s 2024 election, the Republican candidate needs a majority of 1,215 delegates<\/a>. For a Democratic candidate, they need 1,969 delegates<\/a> to secure the nomination.<\/p>\r\n

What Happens When No Candidate Secures Enough Delegates?<\/h2>\r\n

When majority delegates don’t select a nominee on the first round of voting at the nominating convention, a brokered convention<\/a> happens. Here, the delegates vote for whichever candidate they choose. The delegates keep holding votes until they settle on a nominee. Because of this process, brokered conventions are also known as multi-ballot conventions.<\/p>\r\n

Choosing a Host City for a National Convention<\/h2>\r\n

Parties choose the locations of the national convention. Major parties often pick a location at least a year and a half before the convention. Cities vie aggressively for the chance to host since conventions of this scale tend to provide a significant economic boost.<\/p>\r\n

Parties will often choose a host city based on the success of a past convention held there. Or they’ll choose because a city strongly associates with the party or the prospective nominee.<\/p>\r\n

Because of the attendance size, conventions are usually held in sporting or concert arenas. Minor parties, such as the Socialist, Libertarian, and Green parties, also hold nominating conventions.<\/p>\r\n

What Happens at a National Convention?<\/h2>\r\n

During a national convention, parties:<\/p>\r\n