LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – As Democrats from across the country gather in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, Kentucky’s 56 delegates will also participate in the formal nomination process of Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate and Tim Walz as their vice presidential candidate.

How does someone from Kentucky become a delegate to the Democratic National Convention? As one delegate from Kentucky explained, it’s an open process that starts at the local level.

“It’s a very grassroots process,” says Logan Gatti, chairman of the Louisville Democratic Party and a delegate to this year’s DNC. He says he’s relatively new to local politics, although he’s been active in the Democratic Party for about seven years.

Requirements to become a delegate

Anyone can be elected as a delegate as long as they are a registered Democrat in the state, according to the Kentucky Democratic Party’s bylaws. “There are no other major requirements other than the fact that you are merely registered as a Democrat,” Gatti said. “We try to keep it as open and simple as possible.”

First way to become a delegate: Be elected by a congressional district convention

There are three ways to become a DNC delegate from Kentucky. The first is to be elected through a congressional district convention. The most direct route is to be nominated and elected at the local level – either at a legislative district convention or a district convention.

Technically, someone can run as a DNC delegate at the congressional district convention level without running at the legislative district or district convention level, but in most cases, candidates start at the local level and work their way up.

Currently, Jefferson and Fayette are the only counties in the state that have county legislative assemblies first and then a county assembly. The state’s other 118 counties have only a county assembly.

At the legislative district convention, party members meet as legislative districts, which Gatti said “mime” their legislative district for the Kentucky House of Representatives. Each legislative district nominates and elects delegates who move on to the congressional district convention. The number of congressional district delegates they can elect is based on the number of registered Democrats in the district.

“For example, I’m in the 42nd district,” Gatti said. “It’s a very Democratic district, so we can send a very large number of people to the state convention.”

According to the KDP’s charter, each county with six or fewer precincts holds a convention to elect delegates to the precinct convention instead of a precinct convention. This is how Kentucky’s other 118 counties send delegates to the precinct convention. But it’s a similar process: Party members meet at the county convention to nominate and elect delegates to the precinct convention. The number of delegates they can send is based on the number of registered Democrats in the county who voted in the last election.

Next, Democrats will meet for the congressional district and state conventions to select their delegates to the DNC. The two conventions will be held on the same day; this year’s meeting was held on June 15 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. Party members will split into groups corresponding to their respective U.S. congressional districts to choose their delegates.

Gatti’s district is the third congressional district, which includes most of Jefferson County.

“We all gathered in a room again. Everyone who was nominated for a seat at the national level and represented the Third Congressional District stood up and said a few words to explain their position,” he said.

Then everyone votes.

The number of delegates each congressional district can send is also proportional and based on the number of registered Democratic voters in the district who voted in the last election. Gatti’s district, which is heavily dominated by Democrats, sends nine delegates, four men and five women, to represent her.

“Those with the lower Democratic turnout sent three or four, which I think was the lowest number we had,” he said.

All delegates so elected must be registered in the congressional district they represent.

Second way to become a delegate: Be elected by the state assembly

The second way to become a DNC delegate is to run for election at the state convention, which follows the congressional district conventions. These are voted on at the full state convention, but to be elected this way, you must be a party chairman or elected official.

Third way to become a delegate: Be selected as a non-voting delegate

The final way to become a DNC delegate for Kentucky is to be selected by the State Central Executive Committee, the governing body of the KDP, which has a certain number of delegate slots it can fill.

This will give Kentucky Democrats their full delegation to the DNC, consisting of 56 delegates and two alternate delegates who will attend the party convention in Chicago.

What else do you do and who pays for it?

How they actually get there and what they do there is largely in the hands of the delegates themselves, according to Gatti. In addition to voting on the candidates and the program, a delegate’s duties “really depend on what contribution you can make,” he said.

“If you want to get more involved, you can serve on several committees. You can do a little bit more there. For example, I’m a delegate captain, which means I’m in charge of a group of about 20 delegates from Kentucky and making sure they know how to cast their vote,” Gatti said.

Delegates must cover logistics and the cost of lodging, meals and transportation themselves. Gatti estimates that these costs can be as much as $2,000 for the four days of the convention. Many will pool their resources by traveling together and sharing rooms, and some will raise money or get sponsored to cover their costs. He, for example, will share a room with two other delegates. “We will make sure that everyone who is selected as a delegate gets there,” Gatti said.

For Gatti, the cost is worth it. He looks forward to networking with other Democrats across the country and being part of what he calls a historic moment. “Vice President Harris is the first black woman nominated for president of the United States by either major political party, which is an important milestone for our country,” he said.

The DNC will take place from August 19 to 24 at the United Center in Chicago.