AUGUSTA – Sunday’s Democratic caucuses will measure presidential preference among party activists in Maine and lay the groundwork for the spring election of 24 pledged delegates – within an overall delegation of 34 – to the Democratic National Convention in August.

Names come later but “essentially, the apportionment is done on Sunday,” says Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Arden Manning.

For Sunday’s voting, each city, town or precinct has been assigned a certain number of state convention delegates based on the number of Democratic voters. At the caucuses, voters split up into groups supporting one presidential candidate or another.

As participants declare their presidential preference, the available delegate slots are divided proportionately. The preference groups for each candidate then elect delegates to the state convention, scheduled for May 30-June 1 at the Augusta Civic Center.

It is at the state convention where the state party’s national delegation is put together.

Following party rules, a presidential candidate who has the support of at least 15 percent of the state delegates will be awarded a proportionate share of the pledged national delegates.

State Democrats send 24 pledged delegates and 10 more unpledged delegates to the national nominating convention in Denver.

Of the 34 delegates allotted to Maine, there are five types, with pledged delegates chosen in three categories.

Sixteen pledged district-level delegates are divided into nine from the 1st Congressional District and seven from the 2nd Congressional District. These delegates will be elected at the state convention in Augusta on May 31.

Also to be elected at the state convention on May 31 are three pledged party leader and elected officials delegates, who could be city mayors and statewide elected officials, legislative leaders, rank-and-file legislators or other state, county and local elected officials and party leaders.

Additionally, five pledged at-large delegates to the national convention will be elected at the state convention on June 1.

The 10 unpledged delegates to Denver include Maine’s representatives to the Democratic National Committee, its two Democratic congressmen, Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, other party notables and one unpledged add-on delegate who will be elected at the state convention on June 1 after nomination by the state party chairman.

John Knutson, the chairman of the Maine Democratic Party, said Thursday he would support the candidate who wins the majority of the vote in Maine.

“For all intents and purposes, Maine now has 25 delegates up for grabs since I will be embracing the candidate who wins Maine’s caucuses,” Knutson, one of the 10 superdelegates, said in a statement.

“I see this as a way to further empower Democrats across the state of Maine and make the results of our caucus more influential. It is clear that this presidential campaign will come down to a race for delegates, and I believe that by pledging to support the winner of Maine’s caucuses, I will help to increase Maine’s importance in the nomination process,” Knutson said.