Threshold Rules

In presidential nominating politics the Democratic Party employs a threshold rule to determine which primary candidates are entitled to any delegates to the national party convention. A candidate must get at least a certain percentage of the primary vote to receive a share of that state's delegates. Since 1988 the threshold has been 15 percent.

The Democrats have banned winner-take-all primaries in which the plurality winner gains all of the state's delegates. The Democrats award delegates by a form of proportional representation, [Page 634]with candidates who meet the threshold receiving the share of delegates that is the same as his or her share of the primary popular vote.

The Republicans allow winner-take-all primaries, an option exercised by a few states at least through the 2008 election. But most states have established proportional division of their Republican convention delegates with thresholds that candidates must meet to qualify.

In true proportional representation, there would be no threshold. Any candidate who received 1 percent of the vote would receive 1 percent of the delegates. The Democrats, and Republicans where applicable, imposed a threshold to keep the delegations from splintering into too many small factions.

After banning winner-take-all systems as of the 1976 contest, the Democrats continued on and off to accept some state rules that allowed candidates to receive more than their proportionate share of the delegates. These “bonus” or “winner-take-more” plans were prohibited in 1980, allowed again in 1984 and 1988, and then banned in 1992 and in subsequent elections.

In 1976, the Winograd Commission, one of several panels the Democrats appointed to study their rules, recommended a 15 percent threshold rule that would increase to 25 percent later in the primary season. The democratic national committee reduced the higher percentage from 25 percent to 20 percent. (See presidential selection reforms.)

In 1984 the Hunt Commission raised the threshold to 20 percent in caucus states and 25 percent in primary states. After one of that year's major candidates, Jesse L. Jackson, argued that the 20 percent threshold was too high, the Fairness Commission lowered it for the 1988 primaries to 15 percent, where it has remained since.

Turnout Seevoter turnout.