RNC delegate guidelines from Utah, 2016

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2016 Republican National Convention

Date July 18-21, 2016 Location Cleveland, Ohio

Candidates President Donald Trump Vice President Mike Pence

Delegates

Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • Delegate rules by state • State election law and delegates • Correll v. Herring • Delegates by state

Convention 2016 Convention Rules • Rule 12 • Rule 16 • Rule 40 • Conscience clause • Brokered conventions • RNC Rules Committee • Platform and Platform Committee • RNC Standing Committee on Rules • Republican National Committee

Previous party rules 2012 • 2000 • 1996

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This page provides known guidelines for Republican delegates representing Utah at the 2016 Republican National Convention, as compiled from the "2015 Utah Republican Party Bylaws." The full text of relevant regulations is reproduced below.

HIGHLIGHTS

Utah sent 40 delegates to the Republican National Convention in 2016: three automatic delegates from the Republican National Committee, 12 congressional district delegates, and 25 at-large delegates.

All delegates, including the three automatic delegates, were bound by the results of the state's caucus on the first ballot. If a candidate allocated delegates did not compete at the national convention, then his or her delegates were reallocated and bound to the remaining candidates.

There were 404 individuals who filed to be one of Utah's 40 delegates or 37 alternates to the 2016 Republican National Convention.

2015 Utah Republican Party Bylaws

The text below has been reproduced verbatim from: 2015 Utah Republican Party Bylaws

7.0 Conventions and Elections

A. Letter of Intent. Candidates who wish to run for any office elected at the State Party Convention must submit a letter of intent to the State Party. The letter of intent must be received at the State Party Headquarters 30 days prior to the State Party Convention.

B. Allocation and Binding of National Delegation. Prior to any deadline set by the Republican National Committee Rules, the State Central Committee shall certify a presidential primary or a presidential caucus as the Republican Presidential Preference Vote. All National Convention delegates and alternates shall be allocated to the candidate receiving a majority of the votes of the statewide vote in the Republican Presidential Preference Vote, if allowed by the rules of the RNC. On the first ballot, the national delegation shall be bound to vote for the candidate who has received a majority of the votes in the Republican Presidential Primary Preference Vote, but the delegation shall not be allocated nor bound on any subsequent ballots.

If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, then candidates who receive at least 15% of the vote shall have delegates and alternates allocated and bound to the candidates in proportion to each candidate’s share of the total votes cast for the candidates who meet the minimum threshold, beginning with the candidate who receives the most votes and so forth, until all the delegates are allocated. The delegate allocation to each candidate shall be rounded up to the next whole number.

If no candidate receives a majority of the vote and fewer than three candidates meet the minimum threshold, then the delegates and alternates shall be allocated and bound to the candidates in proportion to each candidate’s share of the total votes cast, beginning with the candidate who receives the most votes and so forth, until all the delegates are allocated. The delegate allocation to each candidate shall be rounded up to the next whole number.

If a candidate who was allocated delegates is not a candidate at the national convention according to the rules of that convention, then all the delegates shall be re-allocated and bound to the remaining candidates in accordance to the rules in this section.

C. Eligibility for the Republican Presidential Preference Vote. Only voters who are registered Republicans may vote in the Republican Presidential Preference Vote. The Republican Presidential Preference Vote shall be open to registered Republicans, and unaffiliated voters requesting a Republican ballot who affiliate at the polls as a Republican.

D. In the event that three or more candidates are nominated for the same single seat office, the convention may use multiple ballots or preference voting to choose party nominees or multiple ballots or preference voting to choose party officers.

1. In the case of preference voting, delegates may indicate a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc preference of all qualified candidates.

a. Delegates shall mark a 1st preference for the ballot to be valid.

b. Delegates may list additional preferences not to exceed the number of qualified candidates.

c. Preference votes for no candidate or for a candidate not officially nominated shall invalidate that preference position only.

d. Ballots containing only preferences for candidates who have been eliminated will not count as an official ballot for purposes of vote percentage tabulation.

e. On the first ballot, the candidate receiving the fewest 1st preference votes shall be eliminated

1. Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate shall be reviewed for further preference. The highest preference for a remaining candidate shall be added to that remaining candidates total vote.

2. The candidate with the fewest votes after step D2e1 shall be eliminated.

3. The process will continue until:

a. A candidate for party office at an organizing convention surpasses a 50% total vote and is declared elected.

b. A candidate for party nomination at a nominating convention has surpassed a 60% total vote and is declared the nominee or

c. Two candidates for party nomination at a nominating convention have not been eliminated and neither candidate for that nomination has surpassed 60%. The two remaining candidates are to be referred to a Primary Election.

7.5 Standing Convention Rules

N. Presidential Electors and National Delegates
(Nominating Convention Only)

1. The Convention shall select __ at-large Presidential Electors and __ Presidential Elector per congressional district, for a total of ___ Electors. When filing for the position of Elector, candidates should specify for which type of Presidential Elector position (atlarge or congressional district) he/she wishes to run.

2. The Convention shall select __ at-large national delegates including (3) from each congressional district and __ at-large alternate national delegates including (3) from each congressional district. When filing for the position of national delegate, candidates shall specify for which type of national delegate position (at-large national delegate, at-large alternate national delegate or congressional district national delegate, alternate congressional district national delegate) he/she wishes to run. All national and alternate delegate candidates shall sign a pledge that they will abide by the state party and national party rules and cast their vote at national convention according to whom they are bound.

3. All state delegates at the Convention shall vote for the at-large Presidential Electors, but only the delegates from each congressional district shall vote for their respective congressional district Presidential Elector.

4. The two at-large Elector candidates with the highest vote totals shall be the at-large Electors. The next six at-large elector candidates with the highest vote totals shall be ordered as alternates. The elector candidate from each congressional district with the highest vote total shall be the Elector for that district. The next three elector candidates in each congressional district with the highest vote totals shall be ordered as the alternate congressional district Electors.

5. All state delegates at the Convention shall vote for the at-large national delegates and alternates, but only the delegates from each congressional district shall vote for their respective congressional national delegates and alternates.

6. The top __ at-large and alternate national delegates with the highest vote totals shall be the at-large and alternate national delegates. The top __ congressional district national delegates and alternates with the highest vote total shall be the congressional national delegates and alternates for that district.

7. Presidential Electors per congressional district and national delegates and alternates to the national convention representing congressional districts shall be residents of and qualified voters in said districts respectively when elected and when serving.

8. Candidates for Presidential Elector, National Delegate, and Alternate National Delegate must have registered and participated, either in person, through allowed absentee procedures, or by administering the meetings, in the most recent caucus (neighborhood elections) meetings.

See also

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