Providence, Rhode Island (CNN) Democrats charged with deciding the fate of "superdelegates," the automatic unpledged delegates criticized for their outsized influence on the party's primary process, are closer to a final agreement on reducing their role in electing Democratic presidential nominees.

During an impassioned meeting of the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee on Friday, members argued over multiple proposals considering how, or if, superdelegates should fit into the primary process.

After more than three hours of debate, most committee members seemed satisfied with a "third way plus" plan that would only let superdelegates vote on the first ballot for president if the outcome is already predetermined by the pledged delegates.

The proposal is based on the "third way" option introduced by committee member and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. Supported by Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, it originally would have only given superdelegates voting rights if there was no nominee after the first ballot, something which hasn't occurred since 1924.

"It's a paradigm shift to say that the unpledged delegates on that first ballot are in a different position, that the will of the nominee is going to be chosen, if chosen on the first ballot, by what the primary and caucus process produced," Weingarten told CNN.

Read More