8:12 PM Now nominating Vice President. Virginia delegation appears to have mostly emptied out.
Steve Albertson
7:51 PM The Alaska delegation has requested a Rule 37 polling of their delegation. Not sure what that’s all about, but it appears that it won’t change any of the official results…just gives the delegates a chance to vote how they would have if they were unbound.
Steve Albertson
7:24 PM It has taken actually seeing votes being cast for many of the most fevered imaginations to accept that there was never a plot by Ted Cruz folks to place his name into nomination. Glad that I will no longer be accosted as some sort of conspirator.
Steve Albertson
7:17 PM Donald Trump has formally been nominated via a touching speech from his son Eric, whose casting the New York delegation’s vote put Trump past the 1237 vote majority required.
Steve Albertson
7:09 PM Virginia’s vote will be announced by delegate from the 10th District, Subba Kolla. Subba is the first Indian-American delegate from Virginia, and is a great unity choice for this announcement, as he was originally a Cruz supporter. Because of all the attention focused on Virginia, a phalanx of cameras have lined up to film Subba.
Steve Albertson
6:50 PM Tonight Donald Trump’s name is being placed into nomination. Currently, the roll call of the states is underway.
There has been some lingering intrigue regarding the delegate unbinding effort. Virginia delegate Beau Correll and his allies from around the country are invoking a provision of RNC Rule 37 that allows a single delegate to insist that their delegation be polled on their votes for President.
In Virginia’s case, however, delegates are not individually bound. Unlike most other states, our delegation on the first ballot can only cast votes proportional to the March 1 primary outcome…individual delegates, not being allocated by our allocation resolution, simply don’t have a vote. For that reason, the delegation–led by Morton Blackwell–informally came to a consensus that a Rule 37 poll was moot. It’s unclear if Correll or others plan to make any motions or demonstrations in support of this effort. Stay tuned.
