Youth Will Be 16% of Convention Participants in Denver

Update: So here's a question. I wonder what youth representation will be at the RNC?
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The DNC Youth Council just put out a press release announcing that young people will make up 16% of convention participants in Denver:

Washington, DC – Growing on the strong performance of young voters during the primaries, young people are set to make up just over 16% of all convention delegates, alternates, standing committee members and pages, at the end of the month in Denver, beating all previous records.

Based on information from the Office of the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee, there are scheduled to be 631 delegates aged 36 and under helping to select the Democratic Party presidential nominee. This record performance tops the 11% of youth delegates in 2004 and the 9% in 2000.

Bear in mind that youth is being defined here as 18 - 36, not the usual 18 - 30 we talk about. The DNC (and YDA) both use that metric as the definition of "youth" for the purposes of internal matters.

Technically, the DNC delegations are supposed to represent youth at levels equal to their share of the Democratic electorate in the previous cycle. According to YDA (pdf), who fought the DNC over affirmative action goals to assure proper representation for youth at the convention, that means that youth should make up 19% of convention participants. So the number should be higher, and we still have a ways to go to achieve full representation.

Nevertheless this is a huge improvement. A big congratulations to everyone who worked to get as many young people as possible involved in the convention - as a delegate or otherwise. The full press release is after the jump.

Youth to be in Full Force in Denver

Record Number of Young People to Attend National Convention

Washington, DC – Growing on the strong performance of young voters during the primaries, young people are set to make up just over 16% of all convention delegates, alternates, standing committee members and pages, at the end of the month in Denver, beating all previous records.

Based on information from the Office of the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee, there are scheduled to be 631 delegates aged 36 and under helping to select the Democratic Party presidential nominee. This record performance tops the 11% of youth delegates in 2004 and the 9% in 2000.

“It’s thrilling to have so many young people involved in this important convention,” said Jason Rae, Co- Chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Youth Council. “The DNC Youth Council has worked hard this past year to train youth leaders across the country on the procedures to be a delegate to the convention and our efforts paid off with a record-setting number of youth participants selected to come to Denver.”

In addition to 631 delegates, there will also be 118 young people serving as alternates, 55 as standing committee members, and 74 as pages. During the National Convention, the Youth Council will sponsor two official meetings and a watch party for all youth convention participants.

“Nearly every state and territory will be represented by someone 36 or under, said Jane Fleming Kleeb, Co-Chair of the DNC’s Youth Council. “We are excited to have everyone joining this historic convention. Young people are transforming the electoral map – and based on the convention numbers they will also be transforming meetings, platforms and how the Party treat young voters.”

The Democratic National Committee’s Youth Coordinating Council was constituted by the DNC in December 2005 and works to increase opportunities for young people, 36 and under, in the Democratic Party. The Youth Council is composed of all DNC members under 36, as well as 12 appointed at-large members. A press conference will be held by the Youth Council on Monday, August 25th in Denver for all members of traditional and non-traditional media to meet youth voting experts and the delegates under 36.

Press Contact: A'shanti Fayshel Gholar, GholarA@dnc.org, 202-479-5130