36TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATS
Ballot Q&A
Washington State Delegate Election
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Some Basics
What will I be voting on?
You will be voting for our delegates to the 2024 Washington State Democratic Convention, which will take place in Bellevue, from June 21-23.
Who are the candidates?
We have a vibrant group running for delegate, and we’d love for you to take a look so that we can ensure a diverse and dynamic group is selected to represent us:
https://wadelegateregistration2024.com/category/district-36/
Who is eligible to vote?
Members in good standing of the 36th LD Democrats as of March 31st, including precinct committee officers, are eligible to vote for our state delegates.
How do I get my ballot?
The Washington State Democratic Party will email a digital ballot to you at 10:00am this Saturday, April 6.
When is the voting deadline?
You must submit your ballot no later than 9:00am on Sunday, April 7. You are urged to vote as soon as possible after you receive your ballot, in case you have any problems and need to ask for help.
Do I need a voting key?
Yes. The State Party will assign you a unique voting key. You will need to use that key when you vote.
How many delegates will we elect?
The 36th LD Democrats will elect 25 total delegates. 21 of those will be delegates for Joe Biden and 4 will be Uncommitted.
Will I cast votes for both Biden delegates and Uncommitted delegates?
Yes.
How many votes should I cast?
You are required to vote for exactly 25 delegates: 21 for Joe Biden and 4 for Uncommitted. It will not be possible to submit your ballot unless you cast exactly 25 votes. If you try to do so you will be prompted to make a correction first.
Will there be alternates?
Yes. The 36th LD will be allowed 10 alternates. With consideration of gender parity (see next section), candidates with the next-highest vote counts after the delegate slots are filled will be designated as alternates.
About Gender Division
Do I need to consider gender when voting?
Yes. The 25 candidates you vote for must be equally divided between male and female. This means that the number of male and female candidates you vote for must not differ in number by more than 1 vote. (Note: Gender non-binary candidates do not affect the gender balance. You may vote for any number of non-binary candidates.)
Does gender parity also need to be maintained within each individual delegate category? (Biden and Uncommitted?)
Yes. Gender parity must also be maintained within each of the two delegate categories.
What if I forget to equally divide votes between male and female candidates?
You will be prompted to verify your count as you proceed, and you will also need to check a confirmation box.
What if I submit my ballot but think I might have made a mistake?
If that happens you are encouraged to simply vote again. Only your most recent ballot will count.
What if I do all that and still submit a ballot with an incorrect breakdown?
If that happens, your ballot will be spoiled and will not count.
Uh oh. Then what?
The State Party will have a team checking ballots during the voting period. They will try to catch any errors and reach out to those voters to make corrections. However the best advice from the State Party is to count carefully in the first place, just to be on the safe side.
For significant issues, including suspected voting errors, please contact:
DelegateInfo@wa-democrats.org
What if I have other questions during the voting period?
For general information during the voting period you may contact:
Amanda Powter info@36th.org
If you are still stuck – text Tyler Crone 206.697.4789
About Diversity
Should I consider other kinds of diversity when voting?
Absolutely. We would like our delegation to fully reflect our community.
Do we have goals for a diverse representation?
Yes. The Affirmative Action goals provided for the 36th LD Democrats follow below. (Note – we can achieve our diversity goals by selecting a young person who is also non-binary or a person who is living with disabilities and Asian American, for example.)
Hispanic/Latino: 3 people
Black: 2 people
Native American: 1 person
Asian American and Pacific Islander: 7 people
People w/ Disabilities: 9 people
LGBTQ+ (includes non-binary persons): 3 people
Youth (35 and under): 14 people
How do I know who falls into these categories?
At the bottom of each candidate profile you will see blue tag(s) listing any demographic information they have chosen to share publicly.
What about candidates who do not fall into any of these categories?
You are encouraged to carefully consider all of the candidates and vote for those you believe will best represent our community. Diversity should be an important component in your evaluations, along with other considerations.
What will happen if we do well on our Affirmative Action goals?
If we do well on meeting our Affirmative Action goals we will be awarded extra delegates, which will increase our representation across all demographics.
About Automatic Delegates
Are there some additional delegates who are not elected?
Yes. These are the automatic delegates to the State Convention:
- All Washington State Democratic Central Committee members
- All DNC members residing in Washington State
- County and Legislative District Organization Chairs and Vice Chairs
- Democratic Members of Congress from Washington State
- Democratic Statewide Elected Officials
- Democratic State Senators and Representatives
Do automatic delegates count against our total of 25 elected delegates?
No, they are separate.
Contacts
For problems with voting process:
DelegateInfo@wa-democrats.org
info@36th.org
Please note: This document was prepared with best-available information as of 4/3/24. Any communication originating from the Washington State Democratic Party is authoritative and, in case of conflict, should be considered to override what is stated here.
