MEMORANDUM

TO:

Interested Persons

FROM:

Credentials Committee of the Michigan Republican Party

DATE:

May 5, 2015 (REVISED January 14th, 2016)

RE:

Determining the Number of Delegates and Alternate Delegates to be

Committed to each Presidential Candidate for the 2016 Republican
National Convention

BACKGROUND
On September 20, 2014, the Michigan Republican State Committee adopted the
Republican Party of Michigan Rules for Selection of Delegates and Alternates to the 2016
Republican County, State and National Conventions (the MRP Rules). The MRP Rules
state, in relevant part, as follows:
19.

ELECTION
OF
ALTERNATES
A.

NATIONAL

CONVENTION DELEGATES AND

Allocation of National Convention Delegates and Alternates

National Convention delegates and alternate delegates shall be elected

based on the presidential preference vote (the Presidential Preference
Vote) taken at the presidential primary election, to be held March 15, 2016,
or a date to be determined by the Michigan State Legislature. If the
legislature chooses a date before March 15, 2016, then the winner-takes-all
provision does not apply and the proportion process will be implemented.
MRP Rule 19A.
On February 20, 2015, Public Act 1 of 2015 was filed. Public Act 1 of 2015
established March 8, 2016 as the date of the Presidential Primary Election. Consequently,
as MRP Rule 19A indicates, since the Michigan Legislature chose a date before March 15,
2016, the winner-takes-all provision (MRP Rule 19C) does not apply. Instead, Michigan will

allocate its 2016 Republican National Convention delegates and alternates based on a
proportional process.
On May 5, 2015, the Credentials Committee unamiously adopted a Memorandum to
advise interested persons how the Michigan Republican Party will allocate and apportion its
Republican National Convention delegates and alternates among Republican presidential
candidates using the proportional process. This May 5, 2015 Memorandum did not address
how to allocate and apportion its three (3) Republican National Committee (RNC) members
because Michigan has, as a historical practice, never allocated and apportioned its three (3)
RNC members. However, by letter dated December 4, 2015, the RNC has advised that
Michigans three (3) RNC members must be bound in the same manner as Michigans at-large
delegates, thereby causing this Memorandum to be revised accordingly.
PURPOSE OF THIS MEMORANDUM
The purpose of this Memorandum is to advise interested persons how the Michigan
Republican Party will allocate and apportion its Republican National Convention delegates
and alternates among Republican presidential candidates using the proportional process.
The Credentials Committee is authorized to issue this Memorandum pursuant to MRP Rule
9. Moreover, since a March 8, 2016 Presidential Primary Election would cause MRP Rule
19C to violate Rule 16(c) of The Rules Of The Republican Party (the RNC Rules) if MRP
Rule 19C were not already rendered inoperative by MRP Rule 19A, the Credentials
Committee is further authorized under MRP Rule 22 to take any and all action (which
includes the issuance of this Memorandum) to comply with the RNC Rules.

THE PROPORTIONAL ALLOCATION PROCESS

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The process for the allocation of National Convention delegates and alternates is
straightforward: The Michigan Republican Party will adhere to a proportional process as
required under MRP Rule 19A.
National Convention delegates and alternate delegates shall be allocated on a basis
that insures that the proportion of the total National Convention delegation that is
uncommitted or committed to each Republican presidential candidate equals, as nearly
as is practicable, the proportion of the statewide popular vote that was cast as
uncommitted or for each respective presidential candidate of the Republican Partys
total statewide popular vote at the March 8, 2016, Presidential Primary Election. The
determination of these proportions shall only include the votes cast as uncommitted, or
for that particular Republican presidential candidate, if the total vote cast as
uncommitted, or for that particular Republican presidential candidate, equals at least
fifteen percent (15%) of the total statewide votes cast for all Republican presidential
candidates or as uncommitted at the March 8, 2016, Presidential Primary Election
(hereinafter the Threshold Vote); provided, however, that if no Republican
presidential candidate receives at least fifteen percent (15%) of the statewide vote cast,
then the Threshold Vote shall be the percentage of votes cast for the Republican
presidential candidate who receives the most votes (rounded to the nearest tenth of a
percent-.05 and above rounds up, below .05 rounds down) minus five (5%) of the
statewide vote cast. For example, if the Republican presidential candidate who receives
the most votes receives fourteen and one-half percent (14.5%) of the statewide vote cast,
then the Threshold Vote shall be nine and one-half percent (9.5%) of the statewide vote
cast.
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The statewide allocation shall be determined by dividing the total statewide vote
cast by the vote received by each presidential candidate or uncommitted, not including
within the total statewide vote those votes cast as uncommitted or for any candidate that
did not equal or exceed the Threshold Vote. The resulting percentage for each candidate
(or, if applicable, uncommitted) shall be multiplied by fifty-nine (59) and rounded to
the nearest whole number (.5 and above rounds up, below .5 rounds down), which shall
be the number of delegates that such candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) shall
receive from the total National Convention delegation. If as a result of rounding to the
nearest whole number (.5 and above rounds up, below .5 rounds down), there are more
than fifty-nine (59) delegate positions assigned, the number of positions shall be
decreased to fifty-nine (59) by subtracting the necessary number of positions from the
Republican presidential candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) receiving the fewest
votes cast at the March 8, 2016, Presidential Primary Election. If as a result of rounding
to the nearest whole number (.5 and above rounds up, below .5 rounds down), there are
less than fifty-nine (59) delegate positions assigned, the number of positions shall be
increased to fifty-nine (59) by adding the necessary number of positions to the
Republican presidential candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) receiving the most
votes cast at the March 8, 2016, Presidential Primary Election. According to Rule 16(d)(6)
of the RNC Rules, alternate delegates shall be equal in number to the number of
delegates, except that no alternates shall be selected for the three (3) RNC members.
After the allocation of the fifty-nine (59) delegate and fifty-six (56) alternate positions in
accordance with the proportional process described above, the Credentials Committee
shall apportion the delegates and alternates to each Republican presidential candidate
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(or, if applicable, uncommitted) in accordance with the apportionment process below. If,
at any time during either the allocation or apportionment process, there is any sort of tie
between or among candidates, the Credentials Committee shall break the tie by following
procedures similar to those procedures set forth in MCL 168.851.
THE APPORTIONMENT PROCESS
Determining The Congressional District Apportionment
The Credentials Committee shall use the following procedure for apportioning
the delegates within each congressional district:
(1)
A listing of those Republican presidential candidates (or, if
applicable, uncommitted) having received at least the Threshold Vote, along with the
number of votes that these Republican presidential candidates (or, if applicable,
uncommitted) received from the congressional district shall be compiled.
(2)
The percentage that each Republican presidential candidate (or, if
applicable, uncommitted) having received at least the Threshold Vote, received of the total
Republican ballots cast for those candidates (or, if applicable, uncommitted) within each
congressional district shall be determined.
(3)
In each congressional district, the first National Convention delegate
and alternate shall be allocated to that presidential candidate (or, if applicable,
uncommitted) having received at least the Threshold Vote, having received the highest
percentage within that congressional district. That candidate (or, if applicable,
uncommitted) shall then have his or her total percentage within that congressional district
reduced by thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%).
(4)
The second National Convention delegate and alternate within each
congressional district shall be allocated to that presidential candidate (or, if applicable,
uncommitted) having received at least the Threshold Vote, having received the highest
number of the remaining percentages, including the reduced percentage of the candidate
(or, if applicable, uncommitted) receiving the first National Convention delegate and
alternate. That candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) shall then have his or her total
percentage within that congressional district reduced by thirty-three and one-third percent
(33-1/3%).
(5)
The third National Convention delegate and alternate within each
congressional district shall be allocated to that presidential candidate (or, if applicable,
uncommitted) having received at least the Threshold Vote, having received the highest
number of the remaining percentages, including the reduced percentage of the candidates
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(or, if applicable, uncommitted) receiving the first and second National Convention
delegates and alternates.
(6)
If a presidential candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) should
receive more delegates and alternates than he or she is entitled to under the statewide
proportion, the Credentials Committee shall reduce the number of delegates and alternate
delegates to be elected from within the congressional districts to that number which equals
the number the presidential candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) should receive
statewide. If it is necessary to reduce the number of National Convention delegates and
alternates a presidential candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) is to receive from the
congressional districts, the reduction shall come from that district in which the candidate
(or, if applicable, uncommitted) was apportioned a delegate with the lowest percentage or
reduced percentage. Those National Convention delegates and alternates shall be assigned
to that candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) who received the next highest percentage
or reduced percentage within that congressional district.
Determining The At-Large Apportionment
After the apportionment of the National Convention delegates and alternate
delegates of the congressional districts to the respective presidential candidates (or, if
applicable, uncommitted), then the at-large delegation shall be apportioned as follows:
The total number of National Convention delegates and alternates
received by a presidential candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted)
from within the congressional districts shall be subtracted from the
total number of National Convention delegates and alternates that
candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted) is to receive statewide,
and the resulting number shall be the number of at-large National
Convention delegates and alternates elected committed to support
that candidate (or, if applicable, uncommitted).
In order to be consistent with the RNC Rules, Michigans three (3) RNC members shall be
apportioned as at-large delegates. According to Rule 14(b) of the RNC Rules, no alternates
shall be selected for Michigans three(3) RNC members.
*

The final allocation and apportionment of National Convention delegates and

alternates to any Republican presidential candidate shall be determined by the Credentials
Committee of the Michigan Republican Party, and may be appealed pursuant to MRP Rule
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19E (if applicable) and/or MRP Rule 19F. If any interested person should have any
questions regarding this Memorandum, please contact Eric Doster, Michigan Republican
Party General Counsel, at 517-977-0147.

ED:lk

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