1.         Who are the delegates that select the Republican nominee for President, and how are those delegates chosen:

            Answer:  At this point in time, no delegates have been selected for the Republican National Convention.  Under rules established by the Republican National Committee, Missouri is allocated 58 delegates at the National Convention.  Under the Missouri Republican Party rules, 27 delegates are selected at the Congressional District Conventions which will be held April 9 in each Congressional District.  Missouri has nine Congressional Districts and each District has the right to designate three delegates (9 x 3 = 27).  Twenty-eight at-large delegates are elected at the State Convention which will be held May 31 in Springfield, Missouri.  The remaining three delegate positions are reserved for the State Party Chairman and the two National Committeepersons.  Fifty-five alternative delegates will also be elected by the same process as for delegates.  Delegates for the Congressional District and State Conventions are elected at County Caucuses which will be held March 15 in each county in Missouri.

            The Republican Party does not have “super delegates” as do the Democrats.  Furthermore, although the Party strives to apportion representation by sex, youth, minority and heritage groups, and senior citizens as fairly as possible, there are no quotas for these or any other groups.

            2.         Is Missouri a winner-take-all state or are delegates awarded in proportion to the popular vote?

            Answer:  In the case of Republicans, yes.  Under the State Party rules, Republican delegates are committed on a winner-take-all basis to the candidate receiving the most votes in the Missouri Presidential Preference Primary which will take place on February 5.  All delegates and alternates to the 2008 Republican National Convention will be pledged to support the winner of the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary unless that candidate releases his or her delegates, dies, withdraws or becomes inactive.  In the case of any of these eventualities, a majority vote of Missouri’s National Convention Delegation will bind all delegates and all alternates in the Delegation to the candidate of the majority’s choice. 

            3.         Why does Missouri have primaries instead of caucuses?

            Answer:  The decision on whether to hold a Presidential Preference Primary is made by the Missouri General Assembly.  The State pays the cost of the Primary.  However, as noted above, the Missouri Republican Party still holds caucuses to choose delegates to the Congressional District and State Conventions which in turn elect the delegates to the National Convention.  The only difference is that the delegates actually chosen to attend the National Convention are committed to the winner of the Republican Presidential Preference Primary. 

            4.         Do you have to declare party membership to vote in the Missouri primary?

            Answer:  No.  Missouri does not register party affiliation.  All registered voters can vote in the February 5 Presidential Preference Primary.  However, at the polling place each voter must request a ballot for a particular party and can only vote in that party’s Presidential Preference Primary. 

            5.         Has the nomination process changed through the years?

            Answer:  Yes.  Missouri has not always had Presidential Preference Primaries.  In the absence of a primary, delegates committed to the various candidates are chosen through the caucus and convention process.  The first Presidential Preference Primary was in 1988.  There was a hiatus of twelve years during which Missouri reverted to the caucus system.  Beginning in 2000, Missouri reinstated the Presidential Preference Primary.