Editing Superdelegate (section)

{{Short description|Unpledged delegate to a presidential nominating convention}}
{{Redirect|Unpledged delegates|the process in which voters vote for Uncommitted delegates|uncommitted (voting option)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}}

In [[Politics of the United States|American politics]], a '''superdelegate''' is a [[Delegate (American politics)|delegate]] to a [[United States presidential nominating convention|presidential nominating convention]] who is seated automatically. 

In [[Democratic National Convention]]s, superdelegates&mdash;described in formal party rules as the '''party leaders and elected official''' ('''PLEO''') category&mdash;make up slightly under 15% of all convention delegates. Before 2018, [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] superdelegates were free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination in all rounds of balloting. (This contrasts with pledged delegates, who were selected based on the [[Political parties|party]] [[United States presidential primary|presidential primaries and caucuses]] in each [[U.S. state]], in which voters choose among candidates for the party's [[President of the United States|presidential]] nomination.) In 2018, the [[Democratic National Committee]] reduced the influence of superdelegates by barring them from voting on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention, allowing them to vote only in a [[Brokered convention|contested convention]]. In 2024, the Democratic National Committee voted to adopt new rules that allowed superdelegates to vote during the signature collection and on the first ballot of a virtual roll call for the presidential nomination, even without a candidate securing a majority of the convention's delegates using only pledged delegates, which were earned by the candidate during the primary process.<ref name="aug2cbs">{{Cite web |last=Navarro |first=Aaron |date=August 2, 2024 |title=The DNC's virtual roll call to nominate Kamala Harris started Aug. 1. Here's how the vote works.|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dnc-virtual-roll-call-2024-how-it-works/ |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=CBS News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=DNCC Rules Committee Passes Permanent Rules for 2024 Presidential Nomination |url=https://democrats.org/news/dncc-rules-committee-passes-permanent-rules-for-2024-presidential-nomination/ |publisher=Democratic National Committee |access-date=21 October 2024 |date=24 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=DNC and DNCC Chairs Announce Results of Presidential Nominating Petition Process and Opening of Virtual Roll Call on August 1 |url=https://democrats.org/news/dnc-and-dncc-chairs-announce-results-of-presidential-nominating-petition-process-and-opening-of-virtual-roll-call-on-august-1/ |publisher=Democratic National Committee |access-date=21 October 2024 |date=30 July 2024}}</ref> 

In [[Republican National Convention]]s, three [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] leaders of each state, territory, and Washington D.C. are automatically seated as delegates, but they are pledged to vote according to the results of their party branch's presidential primaries at least on the first ballot.<ref name="WashingtonExaminer20160210"/>