The South takes its place in 2016 campaign spotlight

Since then, and for about a half-century now, conventions have become largely ritualistic, devoid of much power in deciding the party’s candidates, while the primaries and caucuses have assumed the role of the real deciders – with nominees reaching the convention having already got the delegate votes required to win the nomination.

In addition to delegates, on the Democratic side, these states have “superdelegates” – party bigwigs who can vote for whoever they’d like at the Democratic Convention.

Alabama Republicans have 29 at large, statewide, delegates. That number is divided among candidates who get more than 20 percent of the vote, so the more votes on March 1st…the more people representing the candidate at the conventions. Any person who voted in the Republican primary or takes an oath of affiliation may participate in the precinct convention.

Voters are being advised to vote only for delegates pledged to the candidate they voted for president.

An official for the Democratic Party said the video would be circulated on social media. Earlier brokered conventions have seen several rounds of bruising political battles – the longest, according to the post on realclearpolitics.com, being the 1924 Democratic Convention that saw 102 rounds of ballots before nominating John W Davis. Candidates must register before the at large delegates are chosen and pledge support to one of the presidential candidates.

“I think it’s a very democratic process”, Fenlon said. The delegate allocation will be based on the percentage of votes the presidential candidate wins Tuesday.

Chanel Prunier, of Shrewsbury, is the Republican National Committeewoman from MA. Georgia’s rules are not the same as other states’ National Convention delegate counts.

President Barack Obama has said he plans to nominate a replacement for Scalia before the November election, but Republicans in Congress have vowed to block the effort. Three are chosen from each district.

11 are at-large delegates selected statewide.

For the Republicans, that could require some math skills, as there are 13 candidates listed on the MA ballot – a number of whom have dropped out of the race.

The Democratic primary lists four candidates for president – Hillary Clinton, Roque “Rocky” De La Fiuente, Martin J.

The Green-Rainbow Party ballot in MA will include five candidates for president and candidates for the party’s state committee, town committee in some locations, and ward committee.

The polls are open from 7 a.m.to 8 p.m. on primary day in MA.

For the party’s western region, including Berkshire County, the convention is set for 12:30 to 3 p.m. March 19 at the Holyoke Public Library.