The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) began its work on the 2024 Democratic Presidential Nomination process at its meeting on March 11, 2022 in Washington D.C. The RBC hopes to complete drafting of the 2024 Call to Convention and Delegate Selection Rules by mid-July 2022, so they can be provided to the DNC 30 days in advance of the DNC Summer Meeting, which is usually held in August.
The most examined issue is likely to be the 2024 calendar and in particular the timing of the first contests. 2020 Delegate Selection Rule 12 required primaries/caucuses to be held between the first Tuesday in March and the second Tuesday in June, except that Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina contests could occur in the pre-window period. The last time the DNC took a hard look at its calendar was through the Report of the Commission on Presidential Nomination Timing and Scheduling (Herman-Price Commission) (Dec. 10, 2005). That Report, and subsequent RBC action, resulted in adding Nevada and South Carolina to the pre-window process. But it’s time to re-examine the issue.
Other delegate selection issues include frontloading/viability of bonus delegate incentives, ranked choice voting, and automatic (super) delegates. The RBC co-chairs will also appoint an ad hoc subcommittee to consider changes in the DNC Charter and Bylaws.
The RBC meetings were part of the first in person DNC meeting since August 2019 and the group was honored to hear speeches from President Biden and Vice President Harris, as well as doing other work.