NC gets 3% of the vote when picking the Democratic presidential nominee. Here’s why

We’re weeks away from the Democratic National Convention, where the presidential nominee and running mate ceremoniously become official. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were set to win those nominations, but with Biden’s departure from this race this weekend, Harris has become the front-runner for the top spot on the ticket.

But will she secure the Democratic vote? It’s up to delegates to decide.

Each state has a varying number of delegates who cast votes at the Democratic National Convention, and those votes will determine the presidential and vice presidential nominees. The vast majority pledged a vote for Biden, but now they’re free to vote for anyone.

Across all states, there are 3,939 delegates casting votes at the convention, and the nominee will need to receive 1,986 (that’s 50.42%) to get on the ballot.

A tally by the Associated Press shows Harris has secured the support of that number of delegates — but those delegates are still free to change their minds.

So how much power does North Carolina have in this process?

About 3.3%. Here’s more on that.

How many Democratic delegates does NC have when choosing the presidential nominee?

Bylaws for the Democratic Party say the number of delegates allocated to every state is determined by a formula that gives “equal weight to population … and to the Democratic vote in elections for the office of President.”

North Carolina has 130 voting delegates, the ninth-largest delegation in the country, the NC Democratic Party says on its website .

Among nearly 4,000 total delegates, North Carolina’s voice accounts for 3.3%. This roughly aligns with the state’s relative population and Democratic vote:

• North Carolina’s resident population makes up just under 3.2% of the country, according to the 2020 Census .

• Biden earned 3.3% of his total votes from North Carolina in the 2020 election.

The Democratic National Convention is Aug. 19 to 22 in Chicago, but Democrats plan to formally choose their candidate and running mate in a virtual vote by Aug. 7.

Who are NC’s Democratic delegates voting for?

All 168 of North Carolina’s DNC delegates voted Sunday night to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee. The vote happened just hours after President Joe Biden announced he was ending his campaign and endorsed Harris, The News & Observer reported at the time .

Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, said Gov. Roy Cooper also garnered delegates’ support as Harris’ running mate if she chooses him. He’s reportedly one of several possible contenders , also including Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

“Our delegates are enthusiastically supportive of Gov. Cooper becoming the nominee for our vice president as well,” Clayton said Sunday in an exclusive interview with McClatchy.

How many votes does NC have in the Electoral College?

North Carolina has 16 electoral votes , totaling the number of U.S. senators and representatives the state has in Congress. North Carolina has two senators and 14 representatives .

The Electoral College has 538 electors, and a majority of 270 votes is required to elect the president. This means North Carolina holds about 3% (technically 2.97%) of electoral votes.

Inspired by a story from Tacoma’s The News Tribune.

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