RNC delegate guidelines from Connecticut, 2016

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2016 Republican National Convention

Date July 18-21, 2016 Location Cleveland, Ohio

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Delegates

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This page provides known guidelines for Republican delegates representing Connecticut at the 2016 National Republican Convention, as compiled from the Republican Party of Connecticut's "Connecticut Republican State Central Committee Rules and Bylaws" and Connecticut General Statutes 9.473, 476, 484, and 485. The full text of relevant regulations is reproduced below.

HIGHLIGHTS

Connecticut sent 28 delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention. Connecticut's congressional district delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis. Its at-large delegates were to be allocated proportionally, unless a candidate won more than 50 percent of the vote, in which case the at-large delegates were to be allocated on a winner-take-all basis.

Connecticut GOP bylaws stipulated that delegates were to be bound to vote at the convention for the candidate to whom they were allocated.

Delegates could vote for a different candidate after the first round of voting or after the candidate to whom they were allocated released them.

Connecticut Republican State Central Committee Rules and Bylaws

The text below has been reproduced verbatim from: Connecticut Republican State Central Committee Rules and Bylaws

Section 17: Delegates to the National Convention

(a) All the state’s At Large delegates to the Republican National Convention shall be allocated to the candidate receiving a majority of votes in the Presidential Preference Primary. [the greatest number] Where no candidate receives a majority of the votes statewide, the at large delegates shall be allocated to the candidates receiving 20 per cent or more of the statewide vote in proportion to the votes each candidate received in said primary after removing from the calculation all the votes received by the candidates who received fewer than 20 percent of the statewide votes. Where said calculation results in a candidate being entitled to a fraction of a delegate the number of delegates allocated to that candidate shall be rounded up or down to the nearest whole number, with one-half being rounded up.[Notwithstanding such candidate’s percentage of the total votes cast for all candidates.] The delegate and alternates shall be committed to that candidate, and unless released by the candidate, shall vote for the candidate on the first ballot, and shall not change their vote during the course of that ballot.

(b) The winner of the Presidential Primary in each Congressional District by a plurality vote shall be awarded all the delegates and alternates of said congressional district. A majority vote shall not be required of a candidate to be awarded all the Congressional District delegates.

(c) The state party chair shall provide to the Secretary of the State, pursuant to Section 9-473 of the Connecticut General Statutes, that the state’s delegates will be selected on that basis.

(d) The candidate receiving the requisite number of votes shall submit to the state party chairman, a slate of registered Republicans to serve as delegates and a slate of registered Republicans to serve as alternate delegates to the Republican National Convention. The State Party Chairman shall submit the list to the state committee for review and approval on or before its meeting in May of the year of the presidential election.

(e) In the event that a vacancy occurs among the slate of delegates or alternates, the state party chairman, in consultation with the candidate, or candidate’s representatives, to whom the delegates and alternates are committed, shall fill any vacancy. The selection of the person or persons to fill such vacancy shall be ratified by the state committee. In the event that the vacancy shall occur less than (30) days prior to the convening of the Republican National Convention, then the State Party Chairman shall, in consultation with the candidate or the candidate’s representatives, to whom the delegates and alternates are committed, fill any such vacancy.

(f) If the Secretary of the State certifies to the state party chairman that the number of the Republican Party's at-large and district delegates and alternates includes an allocation of uncommitted delegates and alternates, the State Party Chairman shall submit a slate of registered Republicans to serve as both at large and district uncommitted delegates and a slate of registered Republicans to serve as both at large and district uncommitted alternate delegates to the Republican National Convention to the state committee on or before its meeting.

(g) In the event that the rounding of delegates called for herein results in one fewer delegate being allocated than the number of delegates to which Connecticut is entitled, the candidate receiving the most votes in the Presidential Preference Primary shall be awarded that delegate.

(h) (New) In the event that any delegates are awarded to the uncommitted spot on the Presidential Preference Primary Ballot, said delegate positions shall be filled by the state party chairman, and submitted in the same manner as prescribed in subsection (d).

Connecticut General Statutes 9.473, 476, 484, and 485

Source: Connecticut General Statutes 9.473, 476, 484, and 485

9.473

Not later than the fourteenth day before the day of the primary, the chairman of each party shall certify in writing to the secretary the number of delegates to which such party is entitled pursuant to its rules. If such rules provide that such delegates are to be chosen from districts, the chairman shall also certify the number of delegates allocated to each district and the number to be selected at large, if any. Such rules may (1) prescribe a formula for the allocation of delegates to candidates based upon the percentages of the total votes cast for such candidates at the primary, or (2) require all delegates shall be allocated to the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes notwithstanding such candidate’s percentage of the total votes cast for all candidates. If such rules prescribe a formula for the allocation of delegates to candidates based upon the percentages of the total votes cast for such candidates at the primary, the chairman shall also certify such formula and all information necessary for the application of such formula to the results of the primary. The chairman shall furnish to the secretary, upon request, a written interpretation or explanation of any application of such formula.

9.476

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the provisions of chapter 145 and chapter 153 concerning absentee voting at primaries, conduct of primaries and return and tabulation of the vote at such primaries shall apply as nearly as practicable and in the manner prescribed by the Secretary of the State, to a presidential preference primary. The primary officials of each party for each polling place shall be as specified in section 9-436, except that (1) the appointment of assistant registrars of voters and absentee ballot counters shall be permitted but not required, (2) the minimum number of official checkers shall be one, (3) the minimum number of voting tabulator tenders shall be one for each two voting tabulators in use, (4) if two parties are holding primaries and the registrars of voters of such parties so agree, such registrars of voters may jointly appoint (A) one moderator of both primaries and (B) one enrolled member of either party to serve as head moderator of both primaries, (5) notwithstanding any reduction in the number of primary officials as permitted by this section, any duty required of primary officials by the general statutes may be performed by one or more primary officials, at the direction of the registrar of voters of the party of such officials, and (6) the registrar of voters shall have the sole power to appoint such officials. In making such appointments the registrar shall attempt, to the extent practicable, to provide representation for each candidate at each polling place. The provisions of section 9-436a shall apply to each candidate whose name appears on the ballot, except that each such candidate, through such candidate’s authorized or known representative, may submit to the registrar of voters the name of one designee as candidate checker for each polling place, and the registrar of voters shall appoint such designee as candidate checker for such candidate. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 9-438, the polls shall be open for voting at the primary between the hours of six o’clock a.m. and eight o’clock p.m. The moderator or head moderator of the primary in each town shall prepare duplicate head moderator returns in the manner provided by section 9-440, but notwithstanding the provisions of said section, the moderator or head moderator may electronically transmit such returns not later than eleven fifty-nine o’clock p.m. on primary day, provided a hard copy is mailed to the Secretary of the State not later than two o’clock p.m. of the day following the primary or shall hand deliver one of such returns to either the Secretary or the state police by two o’clock p.m. of the day following the primary. Any moderator or head moderator, as the case may be, who fails to deliver such returns to either the Secretary or the state police by such time shall pay a late filing fee of fifty dollars.

9.484

(a) If a party’s chairman did not certify (1) a formula pursuant to section 9-473, or (2) a requirement that all delegates shall be allocated to the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes notwithstanding such candidate’s percentage of the total votes cast for all candidates, the secretary shall determine the number of delegates to be so allocated to each candidate of each such party in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(b) Such determination shall be made separately for delegates to be selected at large and delegates to be selected from each district. Any percentage required to be determined, in accordance with the provisions of this section, shall be rounded off to the nearest one-tenth of one per cent. As used in this section, “minimum percentage” means the ratio, expressed as a percentage, that the number one bears to the total number of delegates to be selected, but in no event shall such percentage exceed twenty-five per cent.

(c) The secretary shall calculate the minimum percentage, as defined in subsection (b) of this section, using the number of delegates to be selected at large and, if applicable, the number of delegates to be selected from each district respectively. Except as provided in this subsection, a candidate’s percentage of the total votes cast for all candidates in the state or in a district must equal or exceed such minimum percentage in order for such candidate to be allocated any at large delegates or any delegates from such district, as the case may be. The secretary shall determine each candidate’s percentage of the total votes cast for all candidates in the state and in each district. In the event two or more candidates have received a percentage of such total votes cast equal to or greater than the minimum percentage, the secretary shall calculate an adjusted percentage, which shall be each such candidate’s percentage of the total votes cast for all such candidates, excluding the votes cast for all other candidates. The secretary shall then calculate the product of each such candidate’s adjusted percentage and the total number of delegates to be selected, rounding off such product to the nearest integer. Such product shall be the number of delegates allocated to each such candidate except as hereinafter provided. (1) If the rounding off of such products to the nearest integers causes the sum of all delegates so allocated to be greater than the total number of delegates to be selected at large or from the district, then one delegate shall be subtracted from the number allocated to the candidate who received the greatest mathematical gain from such rounding off, and if necessary one delegate shall also be subtracted from the number allocated to the candidate who received the next greatest gain, and so on until the sum of all delegates allocated to candidates equals the total number of delegates to be so selected. (2) If the rounding off of such products to the nearest integers causes the sum of all delegates so allocated to be fewer than the total number of delegates to be selected at large or from the district, then one delegate shall be added to the number allocated to the candidate who suffered the greatest mathematical loss from such rounding off, and if necessary one delegate shall also be added to the number allocated to the candidate who suffered the next greatest such loss, and so on until the sum of all delegates allocated to candidates equals the total number of delegates to be so selected.

(d) In the event one or no candidate has received a percentage of the total number of votes cast for all candidates equal to or greater than the minimum percentage, the secretary shall calculate an adjusted percentage for each of the candidates receiving the greatest and second greatest number of votes cast for all candidates. The adjusted percentage shall be such candidate’s percentage of the total number of votes cast for both such candidates, excluding the total number of votes cast for all other candidates. The secretary shall determine the number of delegates allocated to each candidate by using the same procedure as prescribed in subsection (c) of this section.

9.485

(a) Forthwith upon completion of the procedures prescribed by section 9-483 or 9-484, as the case may be, the secretary shall certify to the chairman, each candidate and the national committee of the party, the number of such party’s at large and district delegates allocated to each candidate in accordance with the provisions of said sections. Each party shall select a number of delegates, both at large and from each district, pursuant to its rules and in accordance with such certification, provided it shall select a number of delegates committed to support each candidate which is not less than the number so allocated to such candidate. If, prior to a party’s selection of delegates, a candidate to whom one or more of such party’s delegates are allocated files with the secretary a written statement, by him signed, to the effect that he has released all Connecticut delegates allocated to him, delegates committed to such candidate shall not be selected by such party. Forthwith upon the selection of delegates, the chairman shall certify to the secretary the name and address of each delegate, the district from which he was selected or that he was selected at large, and the name of the candidate to whom he is committed or that he is uncommitted, as the case may be. If, as a consequence of any such candidate’s release of delegates, the number of delegates differs from the number so allocated in accordance with the secretary’s certification, the chairman shall include in his certification a statement to such effect and an accounting of the differences.

(b) The secretary shall forward a copy of such certification to the national committee of the party and to each candidate to whom at least one delegate is committed. If such certification indicates that the party has not complied with the provisions of this section in its selection of delegates, the secretary shall so inform the chairman, each such candidate and the national committee of the party. If any such candidate files with the secretary a written objection to any delegate committed to him according to the chairman’s certification, the secretary shall inform the chairman and the national committee of the party of such objection. Any dispute over the selection of delegates by a party shall be resolved in such manner as its rules may prescribe.

(c) If, subsequent to the primary, a candidate to whom one or more of such party’s delegates are allocated either dies or files with the secretary a written statement, by him signed, to the effect that he has released all Connecticut delegates committed to him, the commitment of any such delegate to the candidate shall be deemed to have been released.

See also

• Republican National Committee
• Republican National Convention rules, 2012
• Republican National Convention, 2016
• Types of delegates
• Presidential election in Connecticut, 2016