By Vice Chair Pam Pollard

Oklahoma is a vital part of the Presidential nomination process once again! All 4 major candidates have held rallies in Oklahoma and each one has drawn a huge crowd of supporters! One common theme of all the campaigns is OBAMA MUST GO!

We are all busy with the beginning of convention season and are looking forward to the final convention, the Republican National Convention to be held in Tampa, FL August 27-30, 2012 where we will select the Republican nominee to defeat Obama in November.

Oklahoma has been awarded a total of 43 Delegates and 40 Alternates to the 2012 National Convention. Below is a summary of the nomination process and requirements for delegates representing Oklahoma. This process is detailed in Republican National Committee (RNC) rules, Oklahoma Republican Party (ORP) Rules (amended 8-27-2011) and all laws of the State of Oklahoma (presently codified at 26 O.S. 20‑104 & 105). All Alternate Delegates will be awarded in the same manner as the Delegates.

In order to be considered as a nominee at a convention for the position of delegate or alternate you MUST submit an affidavit to the State Convention Secretary or the Congressional District Convention Secretary, whichever is applicable, pursuant to Convention rules, signed by the nominee certifying your name and address, that you are a registered voter of the Oklahoma Republican Party and that you will accept the nomination if elected.

You will also certify that your delegate vote on selection for President of the United States of America at the Republican National Convention shall be cast as provided by Oklahoma Statute 26 O.S. 20-104(G) AND 20-105 .

26 O.S. 20-104(G) reads as follows: “Each delegate or alternate delegate to the national convention of his political party shall cast their vote on all ballots for the candidate who received this state's vote. If that candidate is for any reason no longer a candidate, the votes of the Oklahoma delegation shall be cast for any candidate of their choice.” 26 O.S. 20-105 also includes that, “Any vote cast by a delegate which is not in accordance with his delegate pledge shall be void.”

So what does this all mean? First, if you wish to be nominated for national delegate you must submit the Delegate Affidavit to the appropriate Convention Secretary, state or district where you intend to run. You must also agree that you will cast your vote according to the results of the Presidential Preference Primary, OKGOP Rules and State Law. You are bound by law to continue to cast your vote for the nominee as long as his name is on the ballot at the national convention. It may be 1 round of voting or it may be 5 but you cannot change your vote or the penalty will be invoked that your vote shall be void.

So, how do I become a Republican National Convention Delegate?

OKGOP Rule 18 is the foundation for the selection process of National Delegates. We have 3 categories of delegates to the national convention: RNC members, At-Large Delegates & Alternates and Congressional Delegates & Alternates.

Our 43 member delegation is made up of 3 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS (3 TOTAL)

The 3 members of the RNC members are our State Chairman, National Committeewoman and Committeeman.

We also have 25 At-Large Delegates & 25 At-Large Alternates. These are selected through an interview process with the State Executive Committee. All candidates are required to submit a Delegate Bio and Affidavit Form. The Executive Committee will meet in closed session to interview and discuss each candidate and will cast ballots for the 25 delegate and 25 alternate slots. The people receiving the greatest number of votes will be placed on a slate to be voted on by the state convention. The list of names selected by the State Executive Committee to be placed in nomination at the State Convention, and the position to which they will be nominated, shall be posted on the State Party web site, and sent by mail or electronically ten (10) days prior to the State Convention to each County Republican Chairman by the State Republican Chairman. All other qualified nominations shall be received by the chairman of the State Convention in accordance with the rules adopted by such convention. The election of the national delegates shall be by roll call vote.

Each of the 5 Congressional District conventions will vote on 3 Delegates and 3 Alternates for a total of 15 District delegates.

Each Congressional District Convention will set the rules as to how the qualified nominations shall be received. Election of delegates and alternates shall be by roll call vote of each county and each delegate and alternate shall be elected by separate ballot.

The Delegates to the Republican National Convention will be awarded according to RNC and ORP Rules and applicable state law. All Delegates from the State at Large shall be awarded to a presidential candidate who receives a majority (more than 50%) of the votes in the Republican Presidential Preference Primary (PPP) election in the state.

If no presidential candidate receives a majority of the votes in the state, then the delegates shall be awarded as follows:

• To be awarded any of the State at Large Delegates a presidential candidate must receive at least 15 percent of the total vote cast in the State in the Republican Presidential Preference Primary.
• If no candidate receives a majority (more than 50%) of the votes in the PPP, then delegates shall be awarded amongst those receiving at least 15% of the vote and will be computed based on the relationship that the number of votes received by each presidential candidate bears to the total number of votes cast in the Republican PPP in the entire State. The sum total of all votes cast for candidates that receive less than 15% shall be allocated to the candidates receiving delegates in the same proportion the delegates were awarded.
• The Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party shall apportion pro rata the number of Delegates from the State at Large each of the presidential candidates is entitled to receive rounded to the nearest whole number.
• The then constituted Oklahoma RNC delegation, as a whole, shall have a period of ten (10) days following the State Convention to assign, among themselves the presidential candidate(s) for whom the individual Delegates shall cast their votes at the RNC Convention; and, in the event such agreement is not reached within the required ten (10) days or if any dissent or disagreement arises among the delegation on this issue, the ORP Chairman is authorized to settle and shall be the final authority and decision maker with respect to the Delegate assignments and/or any such disagreement on this issue.

 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT DELEGATES

• All  Delegates  from  each  congressional  district  shall  be  awarded  to  a  presidential candidate who receives a majority (more than 50%) of the votes in the Republican Presidential Preference Primary election in that district.
• If no presidential candidate receives a majority of the votes in a congressional district, then the award shall be as follows:
  • If three or more presidential candidates receive 15 percent or more of such total vote in the district, the top three finishers in the District shall each be awarded one Delegate from that district.
    • If only two presidential candidates receive 15 percent or more of such total vote in the district, the presidential candidate who receives the most votes in that congressional district shall receive two (2) Delegates and the presidential candidate who receives the second most votes in  that congressional district shall receive one (1) Delegate.
    • If only one presidential candidate receives 15 percent or more of such total vote in the district, such presidential candidate shall be awarded all of the Delegates from that district.

About the Author: OKGOP