January 29 – How To Get Elected to the Special State Convention, pt 1

This email was sent on January 29, 2020. To sign up for this email newsletter, please click here.

Fellow Democrat!

The 2020 Election is just around the corner, and you can be part of the Presidential Election process here in Arkansas. Our state and our party need your help to ensure we send our best slate of delegates to the National Convention.

During the Filing Period, many of you started this process by filing Form A with your County Party to potentially serve as a County Representative to the Special State Convention, where our 36 National Delegates will be selected. (If you need a quick reminder of what Form A looked like, click here.)

If you filed a Form A, you should have received your Form A receipt last week. If you didn’t, please send an email to delegateselection@arkdems.org or call the state party office.
 
When you get the Form A Email Receipt, please do the following things before January 31:
  1. Ensure that your Form A is downloaded and/or saved
  2. Complete any other documents attached to the email
  3. Confirm your contact information that we have on file. If you have any corrections or would like to ask a question, please respond to the email.

 


Before the Filing Period, the DPA Executive Committee allotted a certain number of County Representatives to the Special State Convention from each county. (click here to see that breakdown)

If Democrats in your county filed more Form As than the allotted number of county representatives, then your county party will have an election to determine who will serve on the Special State Convention. That election will occur at the first county party meeting following the March 3 Arkansas Primary. Be sure to contact your local county party soon to find those meeting details.

Over the next few weeks, we will break down the details and process of that election. But here are some things you should keep in mind as we get closer to the March 3 Primary.

  1. You cannot vote in the Republican Primary on March 3 and serve as a County Representative to the Special State Convention. While you do not have to vote in the Democratic Primary on March 3, DNC rules state you cannot vote in the opposite party’s primary.
  2. All Democrats that attend the county party meeting after the March 3 primary can vote in the County Representative election — not just county party members. This is a DNC rule, so make sure you can attend and also bring some friends! (Although, please do consider joining your county party.)
  3. If you are elected as a County Representative to the Special State Convention, you will be required to identify your presidential candidate preference. You will do this by completing Form A – 2 at the sign-in table at the Special State Convention on May 30, 2020 in Little Rock. So please begin considering who candidate may be. You do not have to announce your presidential candidate preference at the county party meeting, but it could be beneficial to have considered it beforehand.

As always, if you have any questions about the Delegate Selection Process in Arkansas, please send an email to delegateselection@arkdems.org or call the state party office.