What are the ADEMs and How Do You Become One?

Originally published on January 1, 2025 and updated on January 8, this article was updated a second time as of January 15, 2025.

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​I am grateful to have served the state of California as a District-level Delegate for the 2024 presidential elections. I didn’t know what a Delegate was until Emerge CA explained their roles in presidential elections, and encouraged our 2024 cohort to run for a seat in our district. I heeded the call, followed the steps, leaned on my mentors and colleagues, and had the privilege of receiving votes from dozens of my district peers. The result was my first ever opportunity to serve as a District-level Delegate representing AD 18. My stint was short but jam-packed. We all know the results of the 2024 presidential elections.

​This article is to introduce you to the NEXT opportunity available to those who asked me “How did you become a delegate?” This article will answer the question, “What are the ADEMS and how do you become one?”

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According to the California Democratic Party, or CADEM, Assembly District Election Meetings (ADEMS) are held in each of the 22 CDP Regions in February of each odd-numbered year to elect 7 “self-identified female” and 7 “other than self-identified female” to be Assembly District Delegates (ADDs) to represent the Assembly District they are registered in. These elections are open to all California Democrats. (Source: CADEM)
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ADDs and the Democratic State Central Committee (DSCC) plan and attend informational meetings throughout the region. They represent their communities, collaborate with other DSCC delegates throughout California, and vote at meetings and the CA Democratic Party Convention.

Why do ADEMs matter?

​Whether you are an ADEM candidate, encourage someone to become a candidate, or vote for ADEM candidates in your Assembly District, your voice matters. This is an opportunity to affect the priorities and direction of CADEM at the grassroots level, locally and statewide. Why? Because big decisions get made at the CA Democratic Party Convention, such as which ballot measures and candidates to endorse and what ends up on the CADEM platform.

At CADEM, we are “Forever Organizing,” engaging in long-term coalition and community building because we know there are no “off-years” in building the Democratic base. Becoming an Assembly District Delegate is a fantastic opportunity for you to join these efforts, step up your political activism, and help us shape California’s future.

(Source: https://adem.cadem.org/about/)

The responsibilities you must commit to once elected as an ADEM are:

• Participate in at least one convention every year. You are responsible for your travel, lodging, and meals. Costs can exceed $500/meeting depending on how early you plan.
• Participate in the CDP endorsement process as they select candidates in the next election cycle.

ADEMS have the option of:

• Join CDP Standing committees and provide input to functions like Fundraising, Legislation, Resolutions, and Rules.

If you are NOT interested in pursuing candidacy as an ADEM for your district… 
I still encourage you to participate in the ADEM election for your district. You can also encourage people you know to run who may be interested in civic leadership. 

If you ARE interested in pursuing candidacy as an ADEM for your district, read on. Note that deadlines and other instructions listed come from https://adem.cadem.org/deadlines/ and other subpages on the ADEM website.

Note that as of January 15, 2025, the instructions on how to become an ADEM are at the BOTTOM of this article since the deadline to register interest has passed. Consider reading that content for the NEXT election cycle in 2027!

New as of January 8, 2025! ADEM Key Dates

January 8, 2025

• Candidate Registration Window CLOSES at 12 p.m.
• Deadline to Withdraw Candidate Registration at 6 p.m.

January 9, 2025

• Final Candidate List Posted
• Candidate Statement Submission Form OPENS at 12 p.m.

January 16, 2025

• Candidate Statement Submission Form CLOSES at 12 p.m.

January 24, 2025

• Electronic Ballot Request - Voting Registration CLOSES at 12 p.m.

January 31, 2025

• Electronic Voting Credentials Mailed

February 22, 2025

• Saturday ADEM Meetings

February 23, 2025

• Sunday ADEM Meetings Electronic Ballot Voting CLOSES at 6 p.m.
• In-person - Voting Participant Registration CLOSES at 6 p.m.

February 26, 2025

• Deadline to verify Voter Registration CLOSES at 12 p.m.

March 3, 2025

• 2025 ADEM Results

​STEP #1: Confirm your interest to register your candidacy.

Note that you can explore current candidates, by district number, at https://adem.cadem.org/candidates/. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for these instructions.

STEP #2: Register as a candidate for your Assembly District.

Scroll down to the bottom of this article for these instructions.

STEP #3: Register to receive a vote online ballot for the February meeting.

To receive a vote online ballot in the Assembly District Election Meeting, you need to complete a separate registration form. This option is best for those who do NOT intend to register for candidacy. When you register for candidacy, you can check a box to confirm your interest in the ADEM ballot Online.

The Registration form opens from Jan 6th 2025 12:00 PM to Jan 24th 2025 12:00 PM. After this time, if you have not registered, you will be unable to vote in the Assembly District Election Meeting in your region.

STEP #4: Submit your candidate statement by the deadline.

If you registered your candidacy, you will receive a confirmation email. This email will have:

• Your PIN, a 10-digit number with the format ##-#-#######. This is required to vote.
• First and Last Name
• Candidate Name

You will also get another email that provides instructions for your candidate statement. On January 9, 2025 the Final Candidate List will be posted on the website. The Candidate Statement Submission Form will open at 12 p.m. on January and close on January 16, 2025 at 12 p.m.

[Mer will add more information here once she receives her email.]

STEP #5: Vote in person at the Assembly District Election Meeting.

Register to vote for the Assembly District Election Meeting, in person. The Registration form opens from Jan 6th 2025 12:00 PM to Feb 23rd 2025 06:00 PM

Your online voting credentials will be mailed to you on or before January 31, 2025 to the registered mailing address that you provided. Online voting will open on January 31, 2025 and will close on February 23, 2025 @ 6:00PM.

Your voting credentials will include your PIN (Application #) and unique password. If your voting credentials are lost or you do NOT receive them by USPS on or before February 21, 2025, you should vote in person at any in-person voting location listed here. You may go to any ADEM voting location in the State to cast your ballot in-person.

STEP #6: Confirm the results of your election.

The ADEM meetings will be held across the state on Saturday, February 22, 2025. On Sunday, February 23 the electronic voting closes at 6 p.m. The ADEM results will be posted online by March 3, 2025. 

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How do you become an ADEM?

While all registered California Democrats are eligible, there are specific steps that need to be taken within a prescribed timeframe every odd year. The case study for this article is THIS year, 2025. 

There are SIX (6) steps to pursue candidacy as an ADEM and the first two steps must be completed by Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025.

1. Confirm your interest to register your candidacy or vote.
2. Register as a candidate for your Assembly District.
3. Register to receive a vote online ballot for the February meeting.
4. Submit your candidate statement by the deadline.
5. Vote in person at the Assembly District Election Meeting.
6. Confirm the results of your election.

​STEP #1: Confirm your interest to register your candidacy.

Note that you can explore current candidates, by district number, at https://adem.cadem.org/candidates/. If you recognize any names, you may want to reach out to ask questions about why they are running for additional insights. Whether you see a long or short list of candidates for your district, don’t let that deter you from registering your candidacy. If you know you do NOT want to register as a candidate, reviewing the list of candidates early may inspire you to vote and encourage others to join you.

STEP #2: Register as a candidate for your Assembly District.

The Registration form opened on Dec 9th 2024 12:00 PM and closes on Jan 8th 2025 12:00 PM. Per the website, “If you are unable to register to vote by reason of citizenship status and would still like to run as a candidate, please use this form: https://fs3.formsite.com/CADEM2011/deffrxyfak/index.” 

The Candidate Registration form is straightforward with 15 fields to complete before hitting submit, 12 of them are required. Note that you will also need to pay a $40 fee when you submit the form. The questions are:

• First & Last Name
• Date of Birth (MMDDYYY)
• Cell Phone
• Street Address, County, City, and Zip Code (will determine your district)
• Email Address
• Ballot Name (here you can choose to use a nickname or other way to list your name)
• Gender
• Check the box if you would like to receive your ADEM ballot Online.
• Check the box if you would like to be eligible for the Executive Board
• By checking this box, I affirm that I have received, read, and will abide by the CDP Code of Conduct. (cadem.org/code-of-conduct/).

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I hope the information in this article answered your questions, directed you to resources, and helped you map out your steps according to the ADEM timeline. For additional information, check out https://adem.cadem.org/resources which includes the 2025 process, meeting procedures, and more.