The change binds certain delegates to presidential candidates based on the primaries.
Under the new rules, the party’s top three leaders must vote for candidates in the first and second rounds of what may be a contested national convention based on the primary results. In the past, the party chairman, national committeeman and national committeewoman had effectively been “superdelegates,” free to support any candidate at conventions, while the other delegates were candidates’ supporters who were selected based on primary results.
While the change ties up only three of 2,472 delegates nationally who will vote for their top choice at the GOP convention in Cleveland, they could hold larger weight if the race to the 1,237 delegates a candidate needs to win the nomination remains close through the national convention in July.
(READ MORE: Bend Bulletin)
