http://www.politico.com/blogs/5-political-numbers-to-watch/2016/04/pennsylvanias-loophole-primary-explained-222341How Pennsylvania could make Trump the GOP nominee
By Steven Shepard
04/23/16 08:33 AM EDT
Continuing our POLITICO feature, where we dig into the latest polls and loop in other data streams to tell the story of the 2016 campaign. Here are five numbers to watch.
Pennsylvania — like a number of states, including Illinois — conducts what’s called a “loophole primary”: At the top of the primary ballot, voters in each party will choose their preferred candidate.
But at the bottom of the ballot are names of delegates to the party convention – and because of the Republicans’ unique rules, they are likely more consequential than the names at the top.
Donald Trump is likely to carry the state and win the 17 delegates awarded to the statewide victor. But 54 delegates – three for each of the state’s 18 congressional districts – are elected directly on the ballot. And they aren’t bound to vote for a candidate on the first ballot at the Republican national convention in Cleveland, as the state delegates are.
Read more:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/5-political-numbers-to-watch/2016/04/pennsylvanias-loophole-primary-explained-222341#ixzz46f97K7So
