DNC Change Commission Presents Its Final Report
This evening, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee was presented with the final report of the Change Commission, the panel created to reexamine and recommend changes to the Presidential nomination and delegate selection process. The 34-member panel, co-chaired by Senator Claire McCaskill (MO) and Congressman James Clyburn (SC), met throughout the past year in order to deliver on President Obama's campaign promise to improve the Democratic nominating process following the 2008 election.
The Commission's recommendations aim to bring the party's nominating process closer in line with Democratic Party ideals of inclusivity, accessibility, and accountability to the will of the voters.
You can learn more about the Commission, and read the recommendations and full report here.
You can also submit your feedback and comments on the recommendations here.
Rules and Bylaws Co-chair James Roosevelt, Jr. introduced the recommendations to the Committee:
"The Democratic Change Commission was created by a vote taken at the full Democratic Convention in Denver, to study and improve our nomination system, always with the goal of yielding the best Democratic candidate. The resolution instructed us to make recommendations on three aspects of the process -- changing the window of time during which primaries and caucuses may be held. Second, reducing the number of unpledged delegates. And three, improving the caucus system.
Throughout this last year, the Change Commission met and received input from academics, on both the theory on and history of the nominating process from experts in the field, from grassroots activists who saw how it affected people's participation, and from party leaders who talked about how the process affected their roles....now, itis this committee that will make a recommendation to the full DNC of the actual rules to be adopted."
Here are the Commission's final recommendations:
• Timing of presidential primaries and caucuses: The Commission recommends pushing back the window of time during which primaries and caucuses may be held so that the pre-window could not begin until February 1st or thereafter, and the primary window could not begin until the second Tuesday in March or thereafter. Second, the Commission suggests an incentive system to encourage states to regionally cluster their contests and/or hold their contests later in the nominating calendar so as to avoid frontloading in the calendar.
• To significantly reduce the number of unpledged delegates: The Commission recommends: 1) the category of unpledged add-on delegates will no longer be allocated and 2) converting unpledged delegates (DNC members, Democratic Members of the House and Senate, Democratic Governors and Distinguished Former Party Leaders) to a new category of pledged delegates called the National Pledged Party Leader and Elected Official (NPLEO) delegates, which will be allocated to Presidential candidates based on the state-wide primary or caucus results. These individuals would also have the option of attending the convention as a non-voting delegate. In either case, they would receive the same floor credentials and housing as others in their state delegation. The NPLEO designation continues to recognize the important role our party's leaders play and will ensure that they continue to have a voice and role in the nominating process and at the convention.
• To improve the caucus system: The Commission recommends establishing a “Best Practices” program to help states improve and strengthen their caucuses, keeping in mind that different types of caucuses are used within the Party and that state parties often have limited resources with which to work. The “Best Practices” program would help states adequately plan, organize, and staff caucuses and maximize the opportunity for full participation by all Democratic voters.
Following today's meeting, the Rules and Bylaws Committee will meet again to decide whether to adopt the recommendations, which it would then present for adoption by the full DNC.
