RNC delegate guidelines from Colorado, 2016

2016 Republican National Convention

Date July 18-21, 2016 Location Cleveland, Ohio

Candidates President Donald Trump Vice President Mike Pence

Delegates

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This page provides known guidelines for Republican delegates representing Colorado at the 2016 National Republican Convention, as compiled from the Republican Party of Colorado's "Bylaws of the Colorado Republican State Central Committee." The full text of relevant regulations is reproduced below

Note: In August 2015, the Colorado GOP cancelled its presidential preference poll, which was scheduled to coincide with the Republican caucuses on March 1, 2016. According to The Denver Post, the Republican executive committee "voted to cancel the traditional presidential preference poll after the national party changed its rules to require a state's delegates to support the candidate that wins the caucus vote." Colorado Republicans still sent delegates to the Republican National Convention in July 2016. District-level and at-large delegates (34) were bound according to the preferred candidates indicated on their intent-to-run forms. RNC delegates (3) were unbound, meaning that they did not have to pledge their support to a given candidate.^[2] Though Republican precinct caucuses were held on March 1 in Colorado, Colorado Republican National Convention delegates were chosen at party gatherings and the Colorado state GOP convention on April 8 and 9.^[3]

Article 13: Assemblies and conventions[edit]

The text below has been reproduced verbatim from: Bylaws of the Colorado Republican State Central Committee

Section 
A: 
Selection
 of 
National 
Convention 
Delegates[edit]

1. Allocation of National Delegates and Alternate Delegates to presidential candidates when there is no presidential primary election:

a. The eligible voting members at each precinct caucus, county assembly or convention, district assembly or convention, or State Assembly or Convention alone shall determine if the results of any presidential preference poll are to be a factor in the selection of individual delegates or alternates to any higher assembly or convention or to the National Convention, and no candidate for delegate or alternate for any higher assembly or convention or to the National Convention shall be compelled or required to identify the presidential candidate he or she is pledged to support, but may do so at his or her option. In the event any person declares at any precinct caucus or at any subsequent assembly or convention that he or she is pledged to support a particular presidential candidate, such pledge of support shall be binding at the first nominating ballot for President at the Republican National Convention if such person is subsequently selected as a National Delegate or National Alternate Delegate, except as otherwise provided for in these bylaws or the rules of the Republican National Committee.

2. Allocation of National Delegates and Alternate Delegates to presidential candidates when there is a presidential primary election:

a. A candidate for the Republican nomination for President shall not qualify for allocation of any delegates unless the candidate receives at least 15% of the vote at the presidential primary election.

b. At least thirty (30) days prior to the State Convention, the CRC Chairman or his designee shall request written confirmation of each candidate's continuing candidacy. Notice of said request shall be served by certified mail addressed to the qualifying candidate's national chairman at the address of the said candidate's national headquarters, with a copy served by mail to the candidate's Colorado chairman, if such person is known. The notice shall specify the consequences of failure to supply the required confirmation. Said written confirmation must be received by the CRC Chairman no later than fifteen (15) days prior to the State Convention. Any such candidate who does not timely confirm his continuing candidacy shall cease to be deemed a qualifying candidate.

c. The percentage of delegates and alternates allocated to a qualifying candidate shall be determined by taking the number of votes cast for the qualifying candidate at the presidential primary election divided by the total number of votes cast for all qualifying candidates. The votes cast for non‐qualifying candidates shall not be used in this calculation. This percentage shall be applied to the total number of National Delegates and an equal number of Alternate Delegates allocated to the State Delegation to determine the total number of National Delegates and Alternate Delegates that shall be allocated to the qualifying candidate. A committee composed of the CRC Chairman, Vice‐Chairman and Secretary shall then determine the specific number of such National Delegates and Alternate Delegates within the State Delegation allocated to a qualifying candidate to be elected at each of the congressional district conventions and at‐large at the State Convention.

3. Balloting at the Republican National Convention.

a. The CRC Chairman or his designee shall cast the votes for the delegation on the first nominating ballot for President in accordance with the pledge of support made by each National Delegate on their notice of intent to run, or in accordance with the numbers allocated to each qualifying candidate by the presidential primary election and these bylaws. If a qualifying candidate releases his delegates through public declaration or written notification, the candidate's name is not placed in nomination, or the candidate does not otherwise qualify for nomination under the rules of the Republican National Convention, the individual National Delegates and National Alternate Delegates previously pledged are released to cast their ballots as each may choose, or the CRC Chairman or his designee shall allocate and cast the delegate votes to the remaining candidates as if the eliminated candidate had failed to qualify.

b. On any succeeding ballot for President and on all ballots for other purposes the individual delegates are released to cast their ballots as each may choose.

4. General rules and procedures.

a. On or before the first day of October of the year before the year in which a national convention is to be held the CRC shall:

i. Adopt rules, procedures, policies, and instructive material governing the selection of delegates and alternate delegates to the national convention which are consistent with these bylaws and the rules of the Republican National Committee.

ii. Certify and file with the Republican National Committees true copies of the above and of all pertinent state statutes. Changes to the filed material shall be filed in accordance with the rules of the Republican National Committee.

b. Delegates to the county assembly shall serve also as delegates to the corresponding county convention. Delegates to the congressional assembly shall serve also as delegates to the corresponding congressional convention. Delegates to the State Assembly shall serve also as delegates to the State Convention.

c. Delegates to the congressional district conventions shall be apportioned by the CRC among counties of the congressional district in accordance with the same allocation formula adopted for the State Assembly and/or Convention.

d. The congressional district chairman, under the authority of the CRC Chairman, shall issue the call to the congressional assembly and/or convention not later than the first day of February of each presidential election year. The congressional conventions shall be held prior to, but no earlier than 14 days before, the state convention.

e. Notice of any precinct caucus must comply with state law.

5. State and congressional district convention procedures:

a. All candidates for National Convention Delegate, whether a candidate at any congressional convention or State Convention or both, must file a notice of intent to run for National Delegate with the CRC Chairman in writing. Such notice of intent must be received by the CRC Chairman or his designee by mail, facsimile, electronic transmission or hand delivery on a form and in such manner as may be designated by the CRC Chairman, or in such other manner as may be designated by the CRC Chairman, no later than thirteen (13) days prior to the convention in which the candidate for National Delegate desires to stand for election, and may specify the presidential candidate the candidate for National Delegate is pledged to support, or may specify that the candidate for National Delegate is unpledged. To be eligible to be selected as a National Convention Delegate or Alternate Delegate, whether as candidate at the congressional or State Convention, the candidate must have been eligible to participate in the precinct caucus held that same year, must have been continuously registered as a Republican elector in the state or district from the date of the precinct caucus until the date of the convention, must have been a delegate, alternate delegate, or qualified voting member of the county assembly held that same year, and must be a delegate or alternate delegate to the convention from which such candidate is to be selected.

b. National Convention Delegates and Alternates shall be elected on a single ballot. Each convention delegate shall be entitled to vote for the total number of delegates and alternates to be elected. Those candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be assigned to the national delegate and alternate positions according to the total number of votes each received.

c. Candidates for National Convention Delegate and Alternate need not identify the presidential candidate they are pledged to support, but may do so at their option. The ballot shall include the presidential candidate each candidate for National Delegate is pledged to support, or shall indicate that the candidate for National Delegate is unpledged.

d. Alternate Delegates will be designated as congressional district or State Alternate Delegates according to the convention at which each is elected. In the event a delegate or alternate is unable to serve, such delegate or alternate will be replaced by the next ranked alternate elected at the convention which elected the delegate or alternate being replaced.

e. In the event a delegate or alternate is elected by both the State Convention and a congressional district convention, the delegate or alternate shall select the convention for which he wishes to serve by notifying the CRC Chairman, in writing, within ten days of the close of the State Convention. In the event such selection is not made within the time required, the CRC Chairman may designate the convention from which the delegate or alternate will serve.

f. Congressional district chairmen shall certify the elected National Delegates and Alternates to the CRC Chairman at the close of their convention. The CRC Chairman shall file the certifications for all National Convention Delegates and Alternates with the Republican National Committee.

g. Ties of consequence shall be broken by lot:

i. By the CRC Chairman in the case of delegate allocation to presidential candidates and

ii. By the appropriate convention chairman in determining the election or rank order of national convention delegates and alternates.

6. The CRC Chairman and the Colorado Republican National Committeeman and Committeewoman shall be delegates to the National Convention.

See also[edit]

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

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