RNC delegate guidelines from New Jersey, 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

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This page provides known guidelines for Republican delegates representing New Jersey at the 2016 Republican National Convention, as compiled from the "Amended Certificate of the Number of Delegates to be Chosen at the Republican Presidential Primary Election" and "Rules Governing the Selection and Allocation of Delegates to the Republican National Convention." The full text of relevant regulations is reproduced below.

HIGHLIGHTS

New Jersey sent 51 delegates to the Republican National Convention in 2016: three automatic delegates from the Republican National Committee, 36 congressional district delegates, and 12 at-large delegates.

All of New Jersey's delegates, including the three automatic delegates, were allocated to the candidate who won the primary statewide. They were to remain bound on the first ballot. If the winning candidate withdrew from the presidential race before the convention, however, the delegates were to become unbound.

Delegates who refused to vote for the candidate they to whom they were pledged were subject to censure from the party, including being prohibited from acting as a national convention delegate in the future.

Rules Governing the Selection and Allocation of Delegates to the Republican National Convention

The text below has been reproduced verbatim from: Rules Governing the Selection and Allocation of Delegates to the Republican National Convention

The New Jersey Republican State Committee hereby adopts the following rules governing the selection and allocation of delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention.

RULE 1: Law Applicable to Allocation and/or Selection of Delegates

ln accordance with N.J.S.A. 19:24-2, these rules shall supersede the laws of the State of New Jersey regarding the selection and allocation of delegates to the Republican National Convention. Where these rules are silent, the laws of the State New Jersey shall govern.

RULE 2: Number of Delegates

The number of delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention shall be set by the Republican National Committee in accordance with Rule 14 of the Rules of the Republican National Committee as adopted on August 27, 2012 and as amended. Nothing contained herein shall authorize the selection of more delegates and/or alternates to the Republican National Convention than shall be authorized by the Rules of the Republican National Committee.

RULE 5: Election and Allocation of Delegates

The selection and allocation of delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention shall be conducted in accordance with the following rules.

RULE 5(B): Election to Select Delegates-Nominating Petitions

All persons desiring to appear as a candidate for delegate or alternate to the Republican National Convention on the ballot of the Republican primary election to be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in June in any year in which the Republican National Convention is held shall file a petition or joint-petition in accordance with N.J.S.A. 19:23-7 not later than the 64th day prior to that election. Any petition filed in accordance with these rules shall provide that the all candidates appearing on the petition agree to abide by the rules of the New Jersey Republican State Committee regarding the allocation and/or commitment of delegates and alternates and their voting obligations imposed by these rules at the Republican National Convention.

RULE 5(B)(1): Congressional District Delegates

Any candidate seeking to be elected as delegate or alternate representing a particular congressional district at the Republican National Convention must be a member of the Republican Party and a resident of the congressional district which they are seeking to represent and must submit a petition signed by one hundred (100) voters who are legally qualified to vote under the laws of the State of New Jersey, are residents of the congressional district in which the candidate or candidates are running and further, are registered either as members of the Republican party or have not declared affiliation with any political party at the time the petition is signed. Candidates filing a joint petition (a petition setting forth the names of two or more candidates) need only obtain one hundred (100) signatures in total, irrespective of the number of candidates listed in the petition. Any person who at the time of signing such a petition was not affiliated with any political party shall be deemed to be a member of the Republican Party and shall be eligible to vote in the Republican primary election, Nothing contained herein shall authorize any person who is affiliated with or is a member of any other political party to the sign the nominating petition of any candidate seeking to become a delegate or alternate to the Republican National Convention.

RULE 5(B)(2): Election to Select At-Large Delegates

Any candidate seeking to be elected as an at-large delegate or alternate must be a member of the Republican Party and must submit a petition or joint petition signed by two hundred and fifty (250) voters who are legally qualified to vote under the laws of the State of New Jersey and, are registered either as members of the Republican party or have not declared affiliation with any political party at the time the petition is signed. Candidates filing a joint petition (a petition setting forth the names of two or more candidates) need only obtain two hundred and fifty (250) signatures in total irrespective of the number of candidates listed in the petition. Any person who at the time of signing such a petition was not affiliated with any political party shall be deemed to be a member of the Republican Party and shall be eligible to vote in the Republican primary election. Nothing contained herein shall authorize any person who is affiliated with or is a member of any other political party to sign the nominating petition of any candidate seeking to become a delegate or alternate to the Republican National Convention.

RULE 5(B)(3): Method of Allocating and/or Committing Delegates

All delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention shall be deemed allocated and/or committed to the candidate for nomination to the office of President of the United States at the Republican National Convention receiving the greatest number of legal votes calculated on a statewide basis at the Republican primary election held on the next Tuesday following the first Monday of June in any year in which the Republican National Convention is to be held. This process, commonly referred to as "winner take all" shall govern the allocation and/or commitment of all delegates selected at the June primary election as well as those who act as “automatic” delegates under the Rules of the Republican National Committee (the State Party Chairman and the two members of the Republican National Committee). Delegates and alternates from each congressional district as well as the delegates and alternates elected as at-large delegates and the "automatic" delegates shall be allocated and/or committed according to the results of the statewide vote totals.

RULE 6: Length of Commitment of Delegates at National Convention

Any delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention once allocated and/or committed to a particular candidate by virtue of the June primary election shall be obligated and required to cast their vote for that candidate at the first vote to select the Republican Party’s nominee for the office of President of the United States at the Republican National Convention. In the event any candidate to whom New Jersey's delegates and alternates tare allocated and/or committed declines to participate in the Republican National Convention or makes known publicly that he/she no longer seeks the nomination of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, New Jersey's delegates and alternates shall no longer be allocated and/or committed to any candidate. In the event of a dispute, the determination of whether a candidate shall have publicly make known their intention to no longer seek the nomination of the Republican Party shall be made by a majority vote of the delegates allocated to New Jersey.

RULE 7: Censure of Delegates Who Fail to Abide by Commitment

Any delegate or alternate allocated and/or committed to a particular candidate by virtue of the results of the June primary election who fails or refuses to act in accordance with their allocation and/or commitment to that candidate as set forth herein shall be subject to censure by the New Jersey Republican State Committee and/or the Country Republican Committees. Censure may include, among other things, being permanently barred from acting as a delegate or alternate to any future National Convention of the Republican Party.

See also

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