ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)---The Democratic National Convention will begin on August 19th in Chicago.
"There are 4,000-some-odd delegates to the national convention," explained New York Democratic Party Chariman, Jay Jacobs. "New York is sending 307 of them. We are a very large state, second to California."
New York Democratic Party Chairman, Jay Jacobs explained the role delegates play.
"Delegates are the ones that actually vote on the nomination for president and vice president. They vote on the platform of the party."
During a virtual meeting Monday night, New York Delegates voted to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
Of New York’s 307 Delegates:
-179 have been elected from congressional districts across the state.
-60 at large delegates were selected by the state committee.
-29 are party leaders and elected officials.
-39 are automatic delegates, including former President Bill Clinton.
"Bill Clinton is a delegate for New York because he lives in New York and by virtue of being a former Democratic President, he’s a delegate to the convention," said Jacobs.
In New York, the general election ballot must be certified by September 11th. However, other states have different deadlines.
"The big question is to look at Ohio, because Ohio needs to have its ballot certified by early August," said Jeff Wice, a professor at New York Law School. "And there’s a probability that Democrats will have a virtual convention vote via the internet to make sure that they meet the Ohio deadline."
