Make Your Voice Heard in the California State Democratic Party

Local delegates are important voices in shaping the direction fo the California Democratic Party. Delegates are elected from each assembly district in the state every two years. The next round of election meetings is coming in January. Here’s what you need to know if you’re interested in voting in delegate selection.

The meetings where delegates are selected are called Assembly District Election Meetings or ADEMs. Each Assembly District elects 14 people to represent them as delegates to the California Democratic Party’s annual convention. These delegates are also known as members of the Democratic State Central Committee. They vote on Party endorsements, resolutions, internal leadership elections and other matters. Many participate in CDP committees and caucuses.

ADEMs will be held throughout the state on two upcoming weekends:

Sat.-Sun., Jan. 12–13

Sat.-Sun, Jan. 26–27, 2019. Details for San Diego districts are below.

At each meeting, seven “self-identified female” and seven “other than self-identified female” delegates will be elected. Voters will also elect one person from that group of 14 to represent that district as a member of the CDP Executive Board, who is expected to attend additional meetings around the state each year to vote on State Party business.

The regular spring convention will be May 31-June 2 in San Francisco, with a second convention likely in November due to the early primary election in March 2020..

Who can run?

The deadline to register was Dec. 27. Anyone who is a registered Democrat residing in the Assembly District they are running for on or before October 22, 2018, can run to be a delegate through their ADEM. Look up your Assembly District here, with your registered voting address: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/.

You can get more information, including a list of who’s running, here: https://www.cadem.org/our-party/adem.

Who can participate in the meetings?

Anybody can attend the ADEM and vote if they are Democrats residing in that ADEM’s Assembly District, and registered to vote there, as of the data of the meeting. Same-day voter registration is allowed for otherwise qualified citizens.

At each meeting, candidates may give one-minute speeches 30 minutes prior to registration. After registration opens, participants will vote by secret ballot and can then leave at any time. Registration will close two hours after opening, and then votes will be tallied and results announced.

When and where are the meetings?

AD 71
When: Saturday, January 12 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: El Cajon Public Library, 201 East Douglas Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020
Convener: Bonnie Price (619) 741–6811

AD 77
When: Sunday, January 27 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: IBEW, 7444 Trade Street, San Diego, CA 92121
Convener: Cody Petterson (858) 922–7593

AD 78
When: Sunday, January 13 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Musicians Association of San Diego County, 1717 Morena Blvd., San Diego, CA 92110
Convener: Rafael Perez (619) 301–5111

AD 79
When: Saturday, January 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Johnson Elementary School, 1355 Kelton Road, San Diego, CA 92114
Convener: Judy Ki (858) 486–8336**