RNC delegate guidelines from Hawaii, 2016

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2016 Republican National Convention

Date July 18-21, 2016 Location Cleveland, Ohio

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This page provides known guidelines for Republican delegates representing Hawaii at the 2016 National Republican Convention, as compiled from "Rules of the Republican Party of Hawaii." The full text of relevant regulations is reproduced below.

HIGHLIGHTS

Hawaii sent 19 delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Hawaii GOP bylaws in 2016 required presidential candidates to form a Hawaii Leadership Committee that was responsible for selecting Hawaii Republican Party members to fill any national delegate slots won by the candidate in the caucus contests.

Hawaii GOP bylaws stipulated that delegates from Hawaii were to remain bound to their candidate through the first round of voting at the convention, unless their candidate withdrew prior to the convention."

Rules of the Republican Party of Hawaii

The text below has been reproduced verbatim from: Rules of the Republican Party of Hawaii

Part D: Delegates to the National Republican Convention

Sec. 214: Election

In each presidential election year, the Hawaii Republican Party shall conduct Hawaii Republican Presidential Caucuses. The result of the caucus voting statewide shall determine the proportional allocation among the competing Presidential Candidates of the Republican National Convention delegates and alternates to which Hawaii is entitled under the Rules of the National Republican Party and the Call for the Republican National Convention. The result of the caucus voting in each of Hawaii's Congressional Districts shall determine the proportional allocation among the competing campaign delegate slates of the Republican National Convention delegates and alternates to which each Congressional District is entitled under the Rules of the National Republican Party and the Call for the Republican National Convention. Hawaii Republican caucuses shall be held on the second Tuesday in March of each Presidential Election Year. Voting shall be open between 6PM and 8PM and any additional hours designated by Hawaii Republican Party. Caucus hours must be uniform throughout the State and shall be designated by the Hawaii Republican Party and posted on the Hawaii Republican Party website at least 60 days prior to Caucus Day. There shall be at least one Caucus location within each County and at least five Caucus locations within any County over 500,000 population.

Section 215: Election Procedure

The Hawaii Republican Party shall publish the caucus rules, locations, and schedule on the Hawaii Republican Party website at least 60 days prior to the caucus date.

A. Presidential candidate delegate slates

To be placed on the Hawaii Republican Presidential Caucus ballot, a candidate must be registered as a Republican Presidential candidate with the Federal Election Commission and pay a $5000 filing fee to the Hawaii Republican Party before 5PM HST on the fourth Tuesday in February of a Presidential Election Year. The candidate must name a Hawaii Leadership Committee of no fewer than three Hawaii Republican Party members who will be responsible to select Hawaii Republican Party members to fill any National Delegate and Alternate positions won by the campaign. Upon filing, the candidate shall receive a list of Hawaii Republican Party members and an unofficial Hawaii voter database. Late filings may be accepted, subject to the discretion of the Hawaii Republican Party, from Presidential candidates who announce their candidacy and register with the FEC on or after February 1st of the Presidential Election Year. Presidential Candidates who, prior to 5PM HST on the fourth Tuesday in February of a Presidential Election Year, announce they are formally withdrawing their candidacy shall be removed from the Hawaii Republican Presidential Caucus ballot. Presidential Candidates who suspend their campaign but do not formally withdraw shall remain on the ballot.

B. Voting

All voting at Republican Presidential caucuses shall be by secret ballot. Each voter shall vote for only one Presidential candidate. There shall be no voting for individual delegates separate from a slate. Voters shall use only ballots approved by the Hawaii Republican Party. All ballots shall indicate the Congressional District of the voter. The names of Presidential delegates shall not be listed on the ballot. There shall be a designated no-electioneering zone 50 feet around the ballot boxes. The Hawaii Republican Presidential Caucuses shall take the form of a party-run election and shall not feature debates or speeches. While balloting is open, Precinct, District, and County Republican organizations, Republican candidates, and recognized Republican auxiliary organizations may meet or conduct other party business with those who have already cast ballots and exited the no-electioneering zone.

C. Eligibility to vote

Only Hawaii Republican Party members who are registered to vote in Hawaii are eligible to vote. Voters may sign a Hawaii Republican Party card to join the Republican Party at the Caucus site on Caucus day in order to establish eligibility. Hawaii Residents may register to vote in Hawaii at the Caucus site on Caucus day in order to establish eligibility. Hawaii Drivers License, Hawaii State ID, or other government-issued photo ID must be shown to poll workers by all voters in order to confirm residency and identity. All voters--including current members of the Hawaii Republican Party-- must complete a new Party Card before voting. Voters must vote in the Caucus site designated for their precinct. Caucus workers and poll observers shall be authorized to vote at the polling station they are working. Provisional ballots may be cast in the event of a dispute. Such ballots shall be set aside in a sealed envelope along with a filled out party card and a short explanation of the dispute.

D. Vote tally

Slates may each designate one official observer for each caucus site in writing to the Hawaii Republican Party no later than 5PM HST on the first Tuesday in March. Designated observers must be members of the Hawaii Republican Party. Immediately after voting is concluded, ballots shall be counted by caucus officials designated by the Hawaii Republican Party in the presence of observers designated by the Slates. Tallies shall be promptly reported to the State Executive Committee for quick tabulation of the statewide provisional results. Caucus ballots shall be sealed after counting and immediately forwarded to the State Executive Committee by car on Oahu and by Express Mail from all other locations. Included with the ballots shall be a complete party card for each voter and a polling station report confirming the vote tally signed by all designated poll workers and by any observers designated by the presidential campaigns. Signature does not indicate an absence of protest or dispute. Any informal protests or disputes by poll workers or observers shall be made in writing and shipped with the ballots. Whether originating with an informal protest or not, any protests must be formalized by the Campaign of a Presidential Candidate and formally filed with the State Executive Committee by 5PM HST on the Friday following the Caucus date in order to be considered by the State Executive Committee. In the absence of any protests, final caucus results and delegate allocations shall be released at 5PM HST on the Friday following the Caucus date and promptly posted on the Hawaii Republican Party website. If protests are filed, the State Executive Committee must rule on the disposition of the ballots in question within 14 days of the protest formalization. State Executive Committee rulings are final.

E. Apportionment of delegates

The Hawaii Republican Party shall apportion Republican National Convention delegates proportionally based on the Caucus vote tally for each Presidential Candidate within each Congressional District and within the state as a whole. For the purposes of apportionment, blank votes, spoiled ballots, over votes, and write-in votes cast for an individual not registered with the FEC as a Republican Presidential Candidate, shall be deemed invalid. For delegate allocation purposes invalid ballots shall not be considered. The votes received by each Presidential Candidate shall be divided by the total number of valid votes cast for all Presidential Candidates. The percentage of votes received by each Presidential Candidate with respect to the total valid votes cast for all Presidential Candidates shall be rounded up to the next whole number to produce a Delegate Allocation Percentage. This process shall be conducted for the State as a whole and for each Congressional District. Delegates shall be apportioned by the following formula:

For each Congressional District, starting with the highest vote-getter in that Congressional District, multiply the Delegate :Allocation Percentage for the District by the number of delegates allocated to that Congressional District under the Call for the Convention and National Republican Party rules. Round that product up to the next whole number and assign that whole number of full delegates and that whole number of alternate delegates. Repeat this allocation process with each of the remaining Presidential Candidates in descending order of their Congressional District totals until all available delegates and alternates are allocated.

For Statewide delegates, starting with the highest statewide vote getter, multiply the Delegation Allocation Percentage for the State by the number of statewide delegates allocated under the Call for the Convention and National Republican Party rules. Repeat this allocation process with each of the remaining Presidential Candidates in descending order of their statewide totals until all available delegates and alternates are allocated.

If a write-in candidate registered with the FEC as a Republican Presidential Candidate is allocated delegates, the candidate must designate a leadership team of three or more Hawaii Republican Party members to select his or her delegates and alternates.

F. Appointing committed presidential delegates

Upon certification of the Election Results by the Republican State Executive Committee, the Hawaii Leadership Committee of each Presidential Campaign shall appoint eligible Hawaii Republican Party members to fill the full and alternate delegate positions apportioned to their candidate under Rule 215-F. Each appointed delegate and alternate must sign a statement affirming their participation in, vote commitment, and eligibility for the delegation. For every five delegates and alternates named by a campaign, at least one must be from a county with population below 500,000. All slates, individual delegates, and alternates, and the Hawaii RNC delegation as a whole must be in compliance with the rules of the State Republican Party, National Republican Party and the Call for the Republican National Convention. All delegates must be members of the Hawaii Republican Party and registered voters in Hawaii. Slates shall not include delegates authorized under National Republican Party Rule 13-a-2. No language in Section 214 or 215 shall be construed to remove or alter the authority of the State Convention to elect National Committee members and/or the State Chair. The full and alternate delegates named to the Presidential Candidate Delegate Slates must be named in time to be announced at the State Republican Party Convention. The Convention shall not vote on the delegation, the allocation, or the individual delegates.

G. Organization of state delegation

Following the State Convention, the State Chair shall convene a meeting of the National Delegates and Alternates to elect the Chair of the Delegation and members of the Committees or Resolutions, Credentials, Rules and Order of Business, and Permanent Organization of the convention consisting of one man and one woman for each committee in accord with RNC rule 41(a).

Section 216: Candidate commitments

Except by their own commitments, National Delegates and Alternates shall not be required to support any particular candidate for the Republican nomination for President or Vice President. Provided the candidate the delegate or alternate is supporting has not withdrawn prior to the first ballot at the National Convention, the commitment to that candidate shall be binding, but only through the first ballot. Nothing in these rules shall be construed to bind the votes of the National Committeewoman, the National Committeeman, or the State Chair.

See also

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