Delegate Loyalty:

When the delegate selection rules cause those candidates who figure them out and follow them aggressively to be viewed as suspicious rather than successful, the processes themselves are the problem. Here's a straightforward process to eliminate this problem:

To avoid the possibility that some delegates might not actually favor the candidate they are assigned to support, in May and June the candidates themselves will complete the selection of the delegates (and alternates) that they won in each state – all of whom must be residents of that state and registered voters for that party as of January 1st.*

At the convention, achieving a simple majority of the delegates wins the nomination.  For the first ballot, all delegates are bound to support their candidate such that the tally will exactly reflect the results of all primaries.  If no candidate wins the nomination on the first ballot, all candidates who received less than 10% of the first ballot vote are eliminated from the second ballot.  Meanwhile, though unlikely to occur, a candidate who received 10% or more on the first ballot may also voluntarily remove his/her name from consideration, if desired, thus freeing his/her delegates in subsequent balloting.  On the second ballot, all delegates of candidates who remain on that ballot will continue to support their respective candidates, while the delegates of removed candidates will vote for one of the remaining candidates.**  If no candidate wins the nomination on the second ballot, the candidate with the least votes at that time is eliminated.  Then, once again, any other remaining candidate may also voluntarily remove his/her name from consideration, if desired.  This process of elimination continues as needed until one candidate wins a simple majority of delegates to secure the nomination.***  Thus, only someone who has run for the party’s nomination can and will be nominated. 

 

 

Candidate Loyalty:

With this fully transparent and understandable process in place, it is appropriate to also stipulate that when a candidate files to run for a party’s nomination, he/she forfeits any possibility of running as an independent (for president or vice-president) during that election cycle.****  Threatening to run as an independent will no longer be a valid topic for media speculation or a viable bargaining chip for a candidate.

 

 

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*  Candidate-selected delegates and alternates participate in the convention solely for the purpose of voting for the Presidential nomination.  All other party business is conducted by party representatives who are chosen separately in the manner that party rules indicate.

 

** If any delegates (and their alternates) do not vote on a particular ballot, a candidate will win the nomination by receiving a simple majority of the total delegate votes cast on that ballot.

 

*** If the result is a tie between the final two candidates, the party chairman breaks the tie.

 

**** Anyone who did not file to run for a party's nomination in the current election cycle may consider running as an independent candidate.  The deadline for filing to run as an independent would be June 30th - after all primary voting is completed but before party conventions (and VP selections) occur.