Sanders supporters demand that superdelegates follow ‘the will of voters’

MoveOn.org Political Action and a group of backers of White House hopeful Bernie Sanders have launched petitions calling for superdelegates to support the candidate chosen by Democratic voters, not party insiders.

Ilya Sheyman, the group’s executive director, in a statement Thursday said voters “will not allow Democratic Party insiders to determine the outcome of this election.”

{mosads}“The race for the Democratic Party nomination should be decided by who gets the most votes, and not who has the most support from party insiders,” Sheyman said.

“That’s why we’re calling on all the Democratic superdelegates to pledge to back the will of the voters at the Democratic Party convention in Philadelphia,” he added.

MoveOn endorsed Sanders in January after an overwhelming vote from its members.

The push comes after the Vermont senator won the popular vote in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday by 22 points, but finished even in expected delegates, with rival Hillary Clinton having secured the support of six superdelegates in the state.

MoveOn vowed to track commitments from the 712 superdelegates and launch grassroots campaigns targeting individuals who have not pledged to support the will of the voters.

A coalition of Sanders fans also launched a separate petition demanding superdelegates allow the democratic process to play out. It has nearly reached its goal of 150,000 signatures.

Democratic superdelegates — appointed state party insiders who can support any candidate they choose — are allowed to switch allegiances at any point prior to the Democratic National Convention in late July.

The Clinton campaign has racked up pledges from about 360 superdelegates across the country, according to The Associated Press. Sanders has a total of eight commitments.

Pointing out that there are no superdelegates in the Republican primary, Republican National Committee press secretary Allison Moore said Democratic Party “elites appear to be stacking the deck with superdelegates in favor of Hillary Clinton against the will of the voters.”