The Virginia Public Access Project has provided additional information about the delegate registration and vote counting processes for the 2021 Republican Party of Virginia unassembled convention. The May 8th convention will determine the Republican nominees for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. The Virginia Star has previously covered the process, and VPAP provided additional detail about changes made to the delegate selection and counting process.
The process is very different from a traditional primary with a polling location in each neighborhood. For one to become a delegate to the convention, one must file a pre-file form with your local Republican committee. Then, one must show up to one of the 30+ voting locations across the Commonwealth as assigned per voting locality.
The voting mechanism being used is something called Ranked Choice Voting. In a report from Time magazine, multiple state Democratic primaries during the 2020 election used this method. The article also provides an explanation on how the process works.
The way your votes are counted vary by locality, however population is not the only factor in your vote count. The additional variable in weighted vote is the percentage that your locality voted for President Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Meaning that votes in small Republican counties, such as Scott or Giles, may count more than Democratic areas.
See the animated Virginia Public Access Project infographic here.
In an interview with The Virginia Star, Scott County attorney Kyle Kilgore stated, “This process gives rural counties more a say. A lot of these counties are put on the back-burner, even inside the Republican Party of Virginia, it gives rural counties a chance to have a unique say in the process.” Kilgore spoke about multiple conventions where he and his father, Delegate Terry Kilgore (R-Gate City), were the only delegates at a statewide convention and they both carried 50+ weighted votes.
The convention will be held May 8th from 9am to 4pm at 30+ locations across the Commonwealth. The Virginia Star will continue to provide more coverage on the convention in the coming days.
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Matt Colt Hall is a reporter for The Virginia Star and the Star News Network. Follow Matt on Twitter at @MattColtHall on Twitter. Send tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Anderskev. CC BY 3.0.
