The delegates of the Johnson County Democratic Convention elected 162 district delegates, 87 district alternates, 32 district convention committee members, and two platform committee alternates.
The full results of the convention are available on this page.
Johnson County Democrats,
In order to serve as a delegate or alternate at the county convention this year, you must have been elected at your precinct caucus in February. In previous years, this was the only thing that needed to happen before you could participate in the convention. However, since this year’s convention will be held remotely, you must complete one more step before your role is guaranteed: you must register for the convention online before midnight tonight (April 17th).
The Iowa Democratic Party sent registration emails to all duly-elected delegates and alternates on Monday, April 13th. If you are a delegate or alternate and have not yet registered, please check your inboxes for an email from county-conventions@iowademocrats.org. This email contains a link to a Google form that you can complete in no time at all. After you’ve filled it out, you are officially registered for the convention. If you can’t find it, please check your spam folder; your mail service provider may have marked it as a bulk mailing (Gmail occasionally categorizes IDP emails as “promotional” in my experience).
Delegates that do not register by the deadline will be replaced with an alternate, and alternates that do not register will be removed from the list of alternates. This is a rule set by the Iowa Democratic Party, and we cannot provide exceptions at the county level.
We have been doing our best to reach those who still need to register, but we’re limited by the contact information they provided us on caucus night. You can help us by forwarding this article to anyone you think may still need to register for the 2020 county convention, especially if their phone number or email address has changed since February.
Our goal is 100% participation, even during a pandemic. Defeating Donald Trump in November is too important to shoot for anything less.
If you have any questions, please send them to democratsjohnsoncounty@gmail.com. We’re happy to help in any way that we can.
DES MOINES — Today, the Iowa Democratic announced an updated County Convention process to be conducted remotely over the month of April. The updated, non-present County Convention process gives County Party leaders options on how to conduct their convention, including online or by mail.
From April 13-17, Iowans who were elected precinct delegates and alternates will register to participate in their remote county convention, and will indicate their preferred ballot method: online, over the phone, or via mail. Elections for District/State Delegates and County Affirmative Chairs will be conducted remotely from April 22-30. County chairs will have the option to use a template plan or develop their own within the rules outlined in the updated DSP and convention process.
“Consistent with our values, the health and public safety of all Iowans is the number one priority of the Iowa Democratic Party. Our state and country are facing a period of uncertainty due to the spread of the coronavirus, and as such, we are adapting our County Conventions to move forward without risking our public health during this time,” said IDP Chair Mark Smith. “I want to thank all of our County Chairs for their hard work and dedication to maintaining the integrity of the process while keeping Iowans safe. We will get through this crisis together, and our focus remains steadfast on electing Democrats up-and-down the ticket in November.”
The updated process is based on conversations with County Chairs, the State Central Committee, and party leaders. The state party will work with County Chairs to make sure they have the resources they need to be able to hold their convention within the parameters of this process and the overall goal of protecting public health.
Per the state party’s process, the changes to the Delegate Selection Plan were approved unanimously by the State Central Committee, and the final plan incorporates feedback from County Chairs who are in charge of implementing the next convention.
More information about the County Convention process can be found at: theconventions.org.
Hello Johnson County Democratic Delegates and Alternates,
I hope each of you are safe and staying well. We appreciate your patience as we coordinated with the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) to develop a plan for the County Convention to take place while respecting the Iowa Department of Public Health and CDC guidelines for maintaining a safe, healthy distance as we battle COVID-19.
With guidance from the IDP, your County Convention Chairs have developed a plan to complete the delegate selection process and the other business items included in the County Convention. County Convention delegates and alternates will receive an email on April 13 with a link to register for the Johnson County Democratic Convention. On April 22, delegates and alternates will receive a separate email with a link to their ballots.
Stay healthy and safe!
Sincerely,
Ed Cranston
Chair, Johnson County Democrats
An announcement from IDP Chair Mark Smith:
Iowa Democratic Party Statement on Upcoming County
Conventions
DES MOINES – Today, regarding the upcoming County Conventions on March 21,
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Mark Smith released the following statement:
“Today, the Iowa Democratic Party is announcing it will postpone County
Conventions to a future date to be determined. After extensive consultation with
County Chairs, the State Central Committee, party leaders, and public health
officials, we have come to the determination that the spreading coronavirus poses a
risk that outweighs a temporary delay in moving the caucus-to-convention process
forward.
“This is not an easy decision, but we believe it is the right decision. By their design,
caucuses are gatherings built around a sense of community, and throughout every
step, we have worked to ensure the process is safe and accessible for every Iowan.
However, Iowa Democrats should not have to choose between democratic
participation and remaining in good health, and concerns for the wellbeing of our
delegates, thousands of volunteers, workers at convention venues, and the public
come first.
“It is in Democratic spirit that we will work together to find solutions. We are
committed to being as transparent as possible going forward, and rest assured: Iowa
will be heard at the DNC Convention.”
As of this time, District and State Convention planning will proceed as scheduled. For
more information on COVID-19 in Iowa, please visit the Iowa Department of Public
Health website for the latest updates and safety precautions.