# Convention Delegates
The "Rules of the Republican Party of the State of Delaware" provide a detailed framework for the **apportionment of convention delegates**, as outlined primarily in **Article VI, Sections 4–5**, with additional context from **Article II, Section 1**. These rules specify how the **341 delegates** for all conventions (Organizational, General, and Special Organizational) are distributed among the **five Convention Districts** (Northern New Castle, Western New Castle, Colonial, Kent, and Sussex). Below is a comprehensive summary of how convention delegates are to be apportioned.
### 1. **Total Number of Delegates**
- **Article VI, Section 5**:
- All conventions consist of a fixed total of **341 delegates**.
- This number applies to **Organizational Conventions** (odd-numbered years), **General Conventions** (even-numbered years), and **Special Organizational Conventions**.
### 2. **Apportionment Formula**
- **Article VI, Section 5**:
- Delegates are apportioned among the **five Convention Districts** based on a three-part formula:
1. **Base Delegates by County**:
- Each of the **three counties** (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) is allotted **9 base delegates**.
- In **New Castle County**, which contains three Convention Districts (Northern New Castle, Western New Castle, Colonial), the **9 base delegates** are **divided equally** among these districts, resulting in **3 base delegates per district**.
- **Kent** and **Sussex Counties**, each corresponding to a single Convention District (Kent and Sussex, respectively), receive the full **9 base delegates** each.
2. **Delegates by Representative District**:
- Each Convention District is allotted **4 delegates** for each **Representative District** within its boundaries.
- The Representative Districts per Convention District, as listed in **Article II, Section 1**, are:
- **Northern New Castle**: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16 (**9 districts**).
- **Western New Castle**: 13, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 (**9 districts**).
- **Colonial**: 5, 8, 9, 15, 17, 27 (**6 districts**).
- **Kent**: 11, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 (**8 districts**).
- **Sussex**: 14, 20, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 (**9 districts**).
3. **Proportional Delegates Based on Republican Vote**:
- An additional **150 delegates** are distributed among the Convention Districts as nearly as practicable based on **1.5 delegates for each 1% of the statewide Republican vote** cast in each Convention District in the **last two General Elections**.
- The **statewide Republican vote** is calculated from votes for **all candidates for federal and state office** for which votes are cast on a statewide basis, including the **President and Vice-President** of the United States.
- **Special Note for 2013–2014**: For the 2013 Organizational Convention and 2014 General Convention (and any special conventions between the 2012 and 2014 general elections), only the **2012 election results** were used for this calculation. This provision is outdated as of 2025 but indicates a precedent for adjusting the formula in specific cases.
### 3. **Special Provision for the 11th Representative District**
- **Article II, Section 1**:
- The **11th Representative District**, which is part of the **Kent Convention District**, is the only district that **crosses county lines** (spanning parts of Kent and New Castle Counties).
- **Delegate Requirement**:
- At least **25% of any convention delegates** attributable to the 11th Representative District must **reside in the New Castle County portion** of the district.
- **Purpose**: Ensures representation from both counties in this unique district.
### 4. **Alternates**
- **Article VI, Section 8**:
- Each Convention District is allotted **3 alternates** for each **Representative District** within its boundaries.
- **Example**:
- Northern New Castle (9 districts): **27 alternates** (9 × 3).
- Western New Castle (9 districts): **27 alternates**.
- Colonial (6 districts): **18 alternates**.
- Kent (8 districts): **24 alternates**.
- Sussex (9 districts): **27 alternates**.
- **Role**: Alternates replace delegates who are unable to attend or participate, ensuring full representation.
### 5. **Executive Committee’s Role in Setting Delegate Numbers**
- **Article VI, Section 4**:
- The **Executive Committee**, at its **first meeting following each General Election** or as soon as practicable, fixes the **number of delegates and alternates** for each Convention District according to the formula in **Article VI, Section 5**.
- **Purpose**: Ensures the apportionment reflects the most recent election data and district configurations, particularly after redistricting (see Article XVI).
### 6. **Delegate Election and Distribution**
- **Article VI, Section 9**:
- The **distribution and election** of delegates and alternates within each Convention District are determined locally, subject to the following requirements:
- Each **Representative District** must have at least **1 delegate** and **1 alternate**.
- All **registered Republicans** eligible to vote in the next federal election in the district and attending the selection meeting can vote.
- **No automatic delegates** are allowed based on position.
- For conventions selecting national convention delegates, **public notice** in a newspaper of general circulation is required at least **15 days** prior to the election meeting.
- **30 days’ notice** must be given to the **Executive Director** for any delegate election meeting (Article XIII, Section 2).
- Additional public notice may be required by the **Convention District Chairperson** or **district rules**.
- **Purpose**: Ensures democratic and transparent delegate selection while adhering to the apportionment formula.
- **Article VI, Section 10**:
- Each Convention District submits a **list of delegates and alternates** (including name, address, representative district, and telephone number) to the **Secretary** at least **20 days** prior to the convention (e.g., by May 18, 2025, for a June 7, 2025 convention).
### 7. **Redistricting Considerations**
- **Article XVI: Redistricting for 2022 Elections and Beyond**:
- Following redistricting after the 2021 Convention, the **Executive Committee** is authorized to amend **Article II** to reassign Representative Districts to Convention Districts, which could affect delegate apportionment (Article XVI, Section 2).
- The **Rules Committee** prepares a report, and approval requires a vote by **four of five region chairs** in the Executive Committee.
- Once amended, **Article XVI** is nullified (Article XVI, Section 3).
- **Implication**: The listed Representative Districts (from 2021) may have been updated post-redistricting, potentially altering the number of delegates per district under the **4 delegates per Representative District** rule.
### Example Calculation (Based on 2021 District Structure):
To illustrate the apportionment, let’s calculate delegate totals for each Convention District using the 2021 Representative District assignments (subject to potential redistricting changes):
1. **Northern New Castle**:
- **Base Delegates**: 3 (1/3 of New Castle County’s 9).
- **Representative District Delegates**: 9 districts × 4 = **36 delegates**.
- **Proportional Delegates**: Depends on the Republican vote share (TBD based on last two General Elections).
- **Total (excluding proportional)**: 3 + 36 = **39 delegates** + proportional share of 150.
2. **Western New Castle**:
- **Base Delegates**: 3.
- **Representative District Delegates**: 9 districts × 4 = **36 delegates**.
- **Proportional Delegates**: TBD.
- **Total (excluding proportional)**: 3 + 36 = **39 delegates** + proportional share.
3. **Colonial**:
- **Base Delegates**: 3.
- **Representative District Delegates**: 6 districts × 4 = **24 delegates**.
- **Proportional Delegates**: TBD.
- **Total (excluding proportional)**: 3 + 24 = **27 delegates** + proportional share.
4. **Kent**:
- **Base Delegates**: 9 (full allocation for Kent County).
- **Representative District Delegates**: 8 districts × 4 = **32 delegates**.
- **Proportional Delegates**: TBD, with 25% of 11th District delegates from New Castle County.
- **Total (excluding proportional)**: 9 + 32 = **41 delegates** + proportional share.
5. **Sussex**:
- **Base Delegates**: 9 (full allocation for Sussex County).
- **Representative District Delegates**: 9 districts × 4 = **36 delegates**.
- **Proportional Delegates**: TBD.
- **Total (excluding proportional)**: 9 + 36 = **45 delegates** + proportional share.
**Total (excluding proportional)**: 39 + 39 + 27 + 41 + 45 = **191 delegates**.
**Remaining**: The **150 proportional delegates** are distributed based on vote share, bringing the total to **341**.
### Summary:
- **Total Delegates**: **341** for all conventions (Organizational, General, Special Organizational).
- **Apportionment**:
- **Base Delegates**: 9 per county (New Castle’s 9 split equally among its 3 districts: 3 each; Kent and Sussex get 9 each).
- **Representative District Delegates**: 4 per Representative District (based on 2021 assignments: 9 for Northern/Western New Castle and Sussex, 6 for Colonial, 8 for Kent).
- **Proportional Delegates**: 150 distributed by 1.5 delegates per 1% of statewide Republican vote from the last two General Elections.
- **Alternates**: 3 per Representative District.
- **11th District Rule**: At least 25% of its delegates must reside in New Castle County.
- **Executive Committee**: Sets delegate numbers post-General Election, adjusting for vote data or redistricting.
- **Election**: Local district rules apply, with minimum 1 delegate/alternate per Representative District, public notice for national delegate elections, and 30-day notice to the Executive Director.