The Problem with Super-Delegates
, Professor of Political Science at Maxwell School at Syracuse University, Director of the , and Host of the on WRVO, said the super-delegate count only matters when they vote in the convention.
Grant Reeher
“The media need to stop lumping super-delegates into the total delegate counts for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Super-delegate preferences represent publicly stated intentions, are not bound on a first ballot, and are tantamount to pre-election polls. The media, however, have been reporting them as election results. Including them in the totals creates the misleading impression that when Clinton passes the “50% + 1″ mark, which she will do before the convention, the race is officially over–and diminishes the perceived importance of the late primaries. But super-delegates will not be pledged until they actually vote at the convention.”
Reeher is available to speak to media and can be reached via email at gdreeher@maxwell.syr.edu or by contacting Ellen James Mbuqe, Director of News and Public Relations at Syracuse University at ejmbuqe@syr.edu, 315.443.1897, or 412.496.0551.