Pennsylvania's Republican Presidential System Hard To Understand
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you care whether Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, or John Kasich wins Pennsylvania's 71 delegates to the Republican convention, listen up.
In Pennsylvania, when it comes to voting for Republican delegates you can't tell on the ballot which delegate supports which candidate.
"So they're just going to go blind and vote," says Al Quaye.
Quaye is a delegate candidate leaning towards Ted Cruz, but voters won't know that on the ballot because all delegate candidates are listed on the ballot as "uncommitted."
"Is that a problem? I think it is. I think it's a problem for the voter itself," Quaye told KDKA political editor Jon Delano.
Sure is.
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Republicans in each congressional district elect three delegates, but Trump-Cruz-and-Kasich supporters can't tell who are the Trump delegates, Cruz delegates, or Kasich delegates on the ballot.
That has consequences.
In 1980, George H.W. Bush won Pennsylvania's primary but Ronald Reagan got the delegates.
This year, Donald Trump could win the state, but get only the 17 appointed delegates that are awarded to the statewide winner.
"Elected delegates, Republican delegates in Pennsylvania, can vote for whomever they see fit on the first ballot, second ballot, third ballot," says Mike DeVanney.
Delegate candidate DeVanney is a big Marco Rubio supporter, and he's hoping fellow Rubio delegates still win and bargain for first ballot support for a presidential candidate.
"Collectively, we may have a good block of former Rubio supporters who could be players at this year's Republican convention in Cleveland," says DeVanney.
Cameron Linton, a delegate candidate leaning towards John Kasich, says the fact that Pennsylvania's 54 delegates are uncommitted gives the state special power.
"It puts us, for better or worse, in a position to put Pennsylvania as the kingmaker really for our party," says Linton.
Maybe, but it's sure going to be confusing for Pennsylvania's Republican voters.
