RNC delegate guidelines from Tennessee, 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 Tennessee at the 2016 Republican National Convention, as compiled from the "Bylaws of the Tennessee Republican Party," "Qualifying Procedures - 2016 Presidential Delegates," and "Tennessee Code Annotated." The full text of relevant regulations is reproduced below.

HIGHLIGHTS

Tennessee sent 58 delegates to the Republican National Convention in 2016: three automatic delegates from the Republican National Committee, 27 congressional district delegates, and 28 at-large delegates.

The Republican Party of Tennessee announced its final slate of delegates and alternates on April 2, 2016.

At the national convention, delegates from Tennessee could be bound to the candidate they were pledged to for up to four ballots. All delegates from Tennessee were bound on the first two ballots. On the following two ballots, a presidential candidate needed to receive at least 20 percent of the total vote on the preceding ballot for the delegate to remain bound.

Bylaws of the Tennessee Republican Party

The text below has been reproduced verbatim from: Bylaws of the Tennessee Republican Party

Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Republican Party

Rule C: Election of Delegates to the Republican National Convention

Section 1. Three (3) Delegates to the Republican National Convention shall be elected from each Congressional District, on the ballot in the Tennessee Presidential Preference Primary. The Delegates and Alternates from each Congressional District shall be bona fide Republicans, and bona fide residents of and legally registered voters in the District for which they are Delegates and Alternates.

Section 2. The remaining number of Delegates, as determined by the rules of the Republican National Committee, shall be allocated as follows: Half shall be elected from the State at large on the ballot in said Presidential Preference Primary. The remaining number of Delegates, including any odd number or delegate positions not filled through election due to alack of qualified candidates, shall be appointed from the State at large by the Executive Committee, with the advice of the respective Presidential campaigns. A corresponding number of Alternates to such Delegates shall be appointed from the State at large in the same manner, separately from the selection of Alternates to elected Delegates under Section 3 below. At large Delegates and Alternates shall be bona fide Republicans, and bona fide residents of and legally registered voters in Tennessee.

Section 3. The official campaign of each Presidential candidate earning Delegate and Alternate positions shall offer Alternate positions to those persons who unsuccessfully sought election to be Delegates, having already met the approval of that Presidential campaign. Each such Delegate candidate shall be offered the right of first refusal to a position as an Alternate to a he positions for a candidate's Alternates are not filled from among such candidates for Delegate, the Presidential campaign shall then choose any bona fide Republican as such Alternate. The position of Alternate to an uncommitted Delegate, if such is created, shall be filled from those seeking election as uncommitted Delegates, in descending order of votes received.

Section 4-A. District Delegate and Alternate Entitlements. For the purpose of determining the entitlement to District Delegates and Alternates by Presidential candidates, the provisions of this Section shall apply, as follows:

A Presidential candidate receiving more than two-thirds (2/3) of the votes in any Congressional District shall be entitled to three (3) Delegates and Alternates from that Congressional District.

If no Presidential candidate receives more than two-thirds (2/3) of the votes in any congressional District, the plurality winner is entitled to two (2) Delegates and Alternates from that District, and the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes receives one (1) Delegate and Alternate; provided, however, that if the plurality winner receives more than twenty percent (20%) and the number of votes received by the next highest candidate is less than twenty percent (20%), the plurality winner is entitled to three (3) Delegates and Alternates.

If no Presidential candidate receives more than twenty percent (20%), each of the three (3) candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall receive one (1) Delegate and Alternate.

Section 4-B. At-Large Delegate and Alternate Entitlements. For the purposes of determining the entitlement to At-Large Delegates and Alternates by Presidential candidates, the provisions of this Section shall apply, as follows:

A Presidential candidate receiving more than two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast in he Presidential Primary, canvassed on a statewide basis, shall be entitled to all At-Large Delegates and Alternates allocated to Tennessee under the Rules of the National Republican Party.

If no Presidential candidate receives two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast statewide in the Presidential Primary, the At-Large Delegates and Alternates shall be apportioned among the candidates receiving more than twenty percent (20%) of the statewide vote, in the ratio which the number of votes received by each such candidate who received more than twenty percent (20%) of the statewide vote bears to the total of all such candidates receiving more than twenty percent (20%) of the statewide vote, rounding fractional Delegates and Alternates upward to the next whole number beginning with the Presidential candidate receiving the largest number of votes.

If no Presidential candidate receives more than twenty percent (20%) of the statewide vote, the At-Large Delegates and Alternates shall be apportioned among such candidates in the ratio which the number of votes received by each candidate bears to the total statewide vote, beginning with the Presidential candidate receiving the highest number of votes, and rounding fractional Delegates and Alternates to the second highest candidate in the same manner, and so forth, until the Delegates and Alternates to be apportioned have been fully awarded.

Section 5. If a duly selected Delegate dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable or fails to attend the Republican Convention or any session thereof, his Alternate Delegate shall succeed to such office during the absence of the Delegate. If, more than thirty (30) days before the convention, a Delegate's position becomes vacant and is not filled by his Alternate or if an Alternate's position becomes vacant, the position shall be filled in accordance with Paragraph 3 above. If such a vacancy is not filled by thirty (30) days before the convention, it shall be filled in the manner described in the following sentence. If, thirty (30) or fewer days before the convention or during the convention, a Delegate's position becomes vacant and is not filled by his Alternate, or if an Alternate's position becomes vacant, the State Chairman, with the advice and consent of the Administrative Committee, shall fill the vacant Delegate or Alternate position.

Section 6. If, after a Presidential Primary election in which a certain Presidential candidate earns Delegate positions, the Presidential candidate withdraws from the race, his Delegate(s) and Alternate(s) shall continue to have the right to attend the Convention. If any of them does not attend the Convention, the State Chairman, with the advice and consent of the Administrative Committee, shall select a replacement Delegate or Alternate.

Section 7. The TRP, through its staff personnel, shall assist in seeing that the procedures set forth in this Rule C are carried out properly and on time.

Section 8. If any provision of this Rule C is contrary to the Rules and Call of a Republican National Convention, the Rules and Call of the Convention shall govern; and the State Executive Committee shall be entitled to rely upon any written opinion of the General Counsel of the Republican National Convention. If any provision of this Rule causes a mathematically impossible result, the Executive Committee is hereby authorized to modify the provision so that a mathematically possible result occurs.

Qualifying Procedures - 2016 Presidential Delegates

The text below has been reproduced verbatim from: Qualifying Procedures - 2016 Presidential Delegates

Procedures for Election of Tennessee Delegates to the National Party Conventions

Statute Requires Compliance with Party Procedures

Pursuant to T.C.A. § 2-13-318, the legislators expressly intend for the selection of delegates in Tennessee to be governed by the respective national or state party rules. Prior to December 17, 2015, each party executive committee must meet to make appropriate decisions regarding delegates and at-large delegates. On December 17, 2015, the chairperson of each party must certify the following information to the Secretary of State and the Coordinator of Elections:

1. the number of delegates and alternates allocated to the state party by the national party;
2. the number of delegates allocated by the national party to each Tennessee congressional district; and
3. the number of delegates-at-large allocated by the national party. TCA §2-13-303.

Apart from this requirement, the executive committee of each party may select at‑large delegates and alternates by any method authorized by party rules. If the party executive committee chooses a method of selection other than by popular vote, the party executive committee shall meet to implement the method selected after February 9, 2016, but before March 1, 2016. The alternative method used must be by open ballot of the committee members without any secret balloting. TCA §2-13-303(c)(2) further requires that alternates be elected "proportional to the vote for delegates in the party's delegate election."

To obtain more information about the rules of each political party, a person may contact the parties, respectively:

State Republican Party 2424 21st Avenue, Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37212 (615) 269-4260

State Democratic Party 1900 Church Street, Suite 203 Nashville, TN 37203 (615) 327-9779

Ballot Presentation

On March 1, 2016, Tennessee will hold the Presidential Preference Primary. On December 17, 2015, after 12:00 noon, the Secretary of State will announce the final list of candidates for president who will appear on the Presidential Preference Primary ballot and will call for the election of delegates to the national conventions for all statewide political parties. TCA §2-13-304(c).

The names of the candidates for president and delegate candidates shall appear on the ballot as follows:

1. The names of the presidential candidates shall be listed vertically within the first two (2) columns for each respective party's primary election. The presidential candidates' names shall appear alphabetically according to the first initial of their surnames. Within the same columns of each party, there shall be an "Uncommitted" designation immediately following the last listed presidential candidate's name within each party's primary.
2. Within the vertical columns immediately following and below the entire presidential preference listing for that primary, the names of the presidential candidates shall be printed again in vertical columns in alphabetical order according to their surnames. Immediately beneath each presidential candidate's name, the names of the delegate candidates who have qualified to appear on the ballot and who have properly filed their commitment to that candidate must be printed vertically in alphabetical order according to their surnames.

The ballot reflects the names of the presidential candidates a second time only to identify individual delegate candidates committed to the particular candidate. On this part of the ballot, the ballot shall clearly indicate that each voter votes for individual delegate candidates. By the same token, the ballot in each congressional district shall list only those delegate candidates seeking election as a delegate from that district and any at‑large delegates. TCA §2-13-311.

In each party's primary, the voter may cast one (1) vote for his or her preference for candidate for president or for the uncommitted designation. However, TCA §2-13-312 permits the voter to vote for as many delegate candidates as there are to be delegates elected from that congressional district. According to the number allocated for any presidential candidate, the delegate candidate(s) receiving the most votes shall be certified as the delegates to their parties' national conventions. TCA §2-13-315.

Nominating Petitions and Other Required Filings

If the political party rules require that delegate candidates be selected by popular election, then persons wishing to be placed on the ballot for that election must comply with the following requirements. Currently, only the Republican Party selects its delegates by popular election.

To qualify as a candidate for delegate to the national convention of a political party, the person must file a nominating petition no later than 12:00 noon, prevailing time, on December 10, 2015, in the office of the Secretary of State. TCA §§2-13-305(a). A postmark is not considered timely filed.

The nominating petition must contain the following:

• The signature of the candidate and twenty-five (25) or more registered voters who are eligible to vote to fill the position; and
• The name and address of the candidate.

The appropriate County Election Commission shall verify the validity of each signature. TCA §2-13-305.

Delegate Petition Language

In addition, TCA §2-13-306 requires that delegate candidates' petitions substantially follow a prescribed format. The statute provides that the petition contain the following language:

We, the undersigned registered voters of the state of Tennessee and members of the (respective) party, hereby nominate (candidate's name), (address) of _________ County, as a candidate for delegate to the national convention of the (respective) party to be voted in the presidential preference primary election to be held on the ________ day of March. We request that the above nominee's name be printed on the official ballot as a candidate for delegate (at large) or (from the __________ congressional district).

[Note: Official petitions may be obtained from the office of the Coordinator of Elections, 7th Floor, 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, William Snodgrass Tower, Nashville, TN 37243; phone (615) 741-7956.]

Declaration of Candidacy

The Tennessee Code also prescribes a format that must be substantially followed by delegate candidates in declaring their candidacies. The following language must be filed along with the nominating petition:

I (candidate's name) declare that I reside in ____________ County and am a qualified and registered voter in that county. I further certify that I am a member of the (respective) party and am a candidate for election as a delegate (at large) or (from the ____________ congressional district) to the national convention of the (respective) party next to be held for the nomination of candidates of such party for president and vice-president of the United States. I request that my name be printed as such candidate on the official ballot of the (respective) party in this election. I further declare that if elected as a delegate, I will attend such convention unless I shall be prevented by sickness or other occurrence over which I have no control. TCA §2-13-307(a).

As a committed delegate pledged to support a particular presidential candidate, the delegate candidate must name the presidential candidate to whom he or she is committed and the declaration must also include the following language:

I further declare that I am pledged to and a supporter of (name of candidate) and if elected as a delegate will cast my vote for (name of candidate) for at least two (2) ballots if that many ballots are taken. TCA §§2‑13‑307(b) and 2‑13‑308.

Furthermore, a committed delegate candidate must submit the presidential candidate's written consent to his or her candidacy as a committed delegate to the Secretary of State no later than 12:00 noon, prevailing time, on December 10, 2015. For each congressional district, each presidential candidate must consent to at least one more and no more than twice the number of delegate candidates being pledged to him or her than the number of delegates allocated to the district. TCA §2‑13‑309.

Certified copies of each original nominating petition and declaration of delegate candidacy shall be filed by the Secretary of State with the Coordinator of Elections, the chairperson of the State Executive Committee of each candidate's party, and with the chairperson of the State Election Commission. TCA §2-13-310.

Tennessee Code Annotated

The text below has been reproduced verbatim from: Tennessee Code Annotated

2-13-317. Binding effect of presidential primary

The results of the preferential presidential primary shall be binding on the delegates to the national conventions as provided in this section. The delegates to the national conventions shall be bound by the results of the preferential presidential primary for the first two (2) ballots and shall vote for the candidate to whom they are pledged as provided in § 2-13-307. The delegates shall thereafter be bound to support such candidate so long as the candidate, not to exceed two (2) ballots, has twenty percent (20%) of the total convention vote or until such time the candidate of their party releases them from the results of the presidential preference primary.

See also

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