Kentucky Democratic Party Convention  

The delegate selection process for both the Kentucky Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Kentucky is a complicated multi-step system in which many of the voting delegates from the state won't be named until June.

Kentucky Democrats will go to the national convention in Denver on Aug. 25 with 67 total delegates.

Eight unpledged "superdelegates" can throw their support behind any candidate regardless of the outcome of the May 20 primary. Those delegates include top elected officials and party leaders.

One so-called "add-on" delegate also won't be bound to the primary results and can select the candidate of his or her choice. That add-on delegate will be selected at the June 7 state Democratic Party convention from two nominees chosen by the party chairman.

The others will have to vote in the national convention according to the proportional results of the May 20 primary election.

Of those, 34 delegates (as well as their six alternates) will be chosen by congressional district. Those 34 are distributed to each of the six congressional districts according to a formula based on Democratic voter turnout in each district in the 2007 governor's race and 2004 presidential race. Here's the breakdown:

• 1st District (Western Kentucky): 5 delegates

• 2nd District (West-central Kentucky): 5 delegates

• 3rd District (Louisville): 8 delegates

• 4th District (Northern Kentucky): 5 delegates

• 5th District (Eastern Kentucky): 5 delegates

• 6th District (Central Kentucky): 6 delegates

Eleven "at-large" delegates also will be chosen at the state convention.

Another seven delegates will be elected at the convention from a list of local party leaders and elected officials, such as legislators and mayors.

And six delegates will be elected at the state convention to serve on the state party's standing committee and will have votes in the national convention.

For additional information, visit:  http://www.kydemocrat.com