DNC Announces Qualification Criteria For Fifth Presidential Primary Debate
Today, the DNC announced the qualification criteria for the fifth Democratic presidential primary debate, which will take place in November. Like the September/October debate qualification criteria, the November criteria require candidates to demonstrate broad-based support by meeting both a grassroots fundraising requirement and a polling requirement. The qualification criteria apply only to the November debate.
There are now two pathways to reach the polling requirement. The new polling pathway provides candidates with the opportunity to qualify for the debate by demonstrating a higher level of early state support through fewer qualifying polls.
The official threshold rules are below.
QUALIFICATION CRITERIA FOR THE NOVEMBER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DEBATE
To qualify for the November debate, candidates must meet one of two polling requirements (“Polling Threshold”) and the unique donor requirement (“Grassroots Fundraising Threshold”) as detailed below.
1. Polling Threshold. To meet the Polling Threshold for the Organization Debate, candidates must meet either the “Four-Poll Threshold” or the “Early State Polling Threshold” as described below:
o Four-Poll Threshold. Receive 3% or more support in at least four polls (which may be national polls, or single-state polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and/or Nevada) meeting the Qualifying Poll Criteria described below. To meet the Four-Poll Threshold, each one of a candidate’s four qualifying polls must be sponsored by different Qualifying Poll Sponsors, or if by the same Qualifying Poll Sponsor, must be in different geographical areas.
o Early State Polling Threshold. Receive 5% or more support in two single-state polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and/or Nevada that meet the Qualifying Poll Criteria described below. To meet the Early State Polling Threshold, any candidate’s two qualifying polls may be in the same or different geographical areas and from the same or different Qualifying Poll Sponsors.
For a poll to be counted towards the Four-Poll Threshold or Early State Polling Threshold, it must meet each of the four requirements described below (“Qualifying Poll Criteria”):
o Each poll must be sponsored by one of the following 15 entities or pairs of entities (“Qualifying Poll Sponsors”): Associated Press; ABC News/Washington Post; CBS News/YouGov; CNN; Des Moines Register; Fox News; Monmouth University; National Public Radio; NBC News/Wall Street Journal; NBC News/Marist; New York Times; Quinnipiac University; University of New Hampshire; USA Today/Suffolk University; Winthrop University. For individual entities that are included only in Qualifying Poll Sponsor pairs but are not listed individually, independent polling by such individual entities or polling conducted in new partnerships with such individual entities shall not meet the Qualifying Poll Criteria. The DNC reserves the right to add a Nevada-specific poll sponsor to this list in the near future.
o Each poll must be publicly released between September 13, 2019 and 11:59 P.M. on the date that marks seven days before the date of the November debate.
o Each poll’s candidate support question must have been conducted by reading or presenting a list of Democratic presidential primary candidates to respondents. Poll questions using an open-ended or un-aided question to gauge presidential primary support will not count.
o Each polling result must be the top-line number listed in the original public release from the approved Qualifying Poll Sponsor, whether or not it is a rounded or weighted number.
2. Grassroots Fundraising Threshold. To meet the Grassroots Fundraising Threshold, candidates must submit a certification, executed by the candidate’s campaign Treasurer, by 11 A.M. on the day that marks six days before the date of the November debate demonstrating that the campaign has received donations from at least (1) 165,000 unique donors; and (2) a minimum of 600 unique donors per state in at least 20 U.S. states, U.S. territories, or the District of Columbia. Qualifying donations must be received by 11:59 P.M. on the date that marks seven days before the date of the November debate. An acceptable certification must provide or attach adequate verifiable evidence to show that the fundraising threshold has been reached and may include verification from ActBlue or NGP VAN regarding the campaign’s fundraising.
