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[1] (April 15, 2016)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthabfss0001 and id is 1 raw text is: CRS INSIGHT Contested Presidential Nominating Conventions: Brief Background and Questions April 15, 2016 (IN10478) Related Author R. Sam Garrett, Specialist in American National Government (rgarrettacrs loc gov. 7-6443) Neither major party has required multiple votes to select a presidential nominee since the 1952 Democratic National Convention and the 1948 Republican National Convention. Yet, prolonged primary campaigns routinely fuil Speculation that convention delegates might again be called on to choose a party's presidential nominee through multiple ballots, rather than to ratify a clear outcome from the primaries. This CRS Insight briefly addresses selected questions about possible contested Democratic and Republican conventions that might be relevant as Members of Congress prepare for the 2016 election. What is a contested convention? In general, a contested convention refers to delegates requiring more than one vote (ballot) to select the party's presidential nominee. Hence, contested conventions are also sometimes called multi-ballot or open conventions. Some contested conventions were brokered by party bosses before the two major parties (especially Democrats) changed their nominating processes beginning in the early 1960s. Why is there speculation that a contested convention might occur in 2016? This year, a Democratic candidate must secure at least to win the nomination. A Republican requires at least 1.237.votes. Because candidates from both major parties have remained competitive throughout the 2016 primary season, it is unclear whether one Democrat and one Republican will secure enough delegate support to be the presumptive nominee before the convention begins. Some Republican state parties allocate convention delegates proportionally, and Democrats require proportional allocation. Consequently, even candidates who do not win in a particular state can amass delegates throughout the primaries or other delegate-selection events. Most speculation about a 2016 contested convention has emphasized the Republican race. On March 20, 2016, when asked about the prospects for a contested convention, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus replied: . Those preparations repor. A contested Democratic convention appears less likely but some accounts suggest that one is.po.sible, particularly if one candidate does not secure substantial superdelegate support in advance or if those delegates decided to change their

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