Delegates explained

When voters go to the polls on Tuesday, March 3, they are going to be confronted with—depending on the party ballot they choose—a list of decisions to make regarding persons who are not running for a political office, but another important political function.
A primary election is not just used to choose the candidate a majority of voters in each state prefers to serve as a political party’s nominee for president, but also to elect the delegates who will represent the state during the party’s national convention, where the party will formally confirm its candidates for president and vice president.
On both the Republican and Democratic ballots in the March 3 primary elections, voters will see a list of choices for delegates to each party’s respective 2020 National Convention. Some of the names may be familiar, while many may not. The following is an explanation of the primary process and the importance of delegates to the political system.