The Voters’ Job is Done, Now What?

Vote Barack Obama Alabama voters have done their part now delegates from each party are setting their sights on the national conventions.

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Wed, February 06, 2008 - 5:32 pm CST Last Updated: Wed, February 06, 2008 - 6:46 pm CST

When Patricia Lewis walked into the voting booth, her experience was probably a little different from yours.
"It was very emotional," she said. Lewis' name was on the ballot as a delegate for Barack Obama.
"I got 15,408 votes adn that was great," said Lewis.
Now Lewis and 66 other Democrats will go to Denver Colorado, while 45 Republicans head to St. Paul, Minnesota. That's where they'll officially pick their presidential candidates this summer.
"It's quite exciting," said Terry Lathan who has attended five Republican conventions. "It's sorta the Super Bowl of politics, she said.
But, that's where it gets tricky. Alabama is not a winner-take-all state on either side, and the way Republicans and Democrats divide their delegates is just as different as the two parties' platforms.
On the Republican side, a candidate only gets all the delegates if they snag more than half the votes. Since Alabama winner Mike Huckabee only took 41%, he'll have to share with John McCain, who finished second.
"They're not going to see a huge amount coming from the State of Alabama," said Lathan. "Basically it's going to be a wash."
For Democrats, Obama did win more than half, but their rules are different. They split delegates regardless of the outcome, which is sure to make second place finisher Hillary Clinton smile big.
But, even with delegates being split among the candidates, don't expect this year's conventions to be a slug fest. In the end, party supporters are sure they'll rally around their presidential pick... whoever that may be.

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