Pa. vote for GOP delegates is an exercise in confusion
If you’re voting in Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary, do yourself a favor. Tear out this page and take it with you. You’ll need it for a guide as you cast your ballot.
On the left side of the ballot you’ll find the names of the three GOP candidates who still believe they have a shot at the nomination — Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — along with the names of three candidates who have dropped out of the race — Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson.
On the right side is another set of 11 names, some you’ll recognize, some you won’t. These are candidates for unbound Pennsylvania delegates to the Republican National Convention. Republican voters in Pennsylvania will choose three such delegates in each of the state’s 18 congressional districts, for a total of 54 delegates, while the winner of the statewide vote will get only 17 delegates.
There are 11 candidates for unbound delegate running on the Republican ballot in the 3rd Congressional District. Another four names are listed as candidates for alternate delegate. Voters get to pick three of each.
It gets sticky when you realize there’s no mention on the ballot which presidential candidate a delegate hopeful supports. Officially they are unbound, meaning they are free to support and vote for any candidate they choose. In reality, however, some of them support and actively campaign for a candidate. But you wouldn’t know from looking at the ballot.
There’s no such problem for Democratic voters. Their ballot clearly states to whom each delegate hopeful is committed.
Of the 11 GOP candidates for delegate on our ballot, four are Trump supporters: Jim Keffalas, of Butler Township; Carol Lynne Ryan, of New Castle; Daniel P. Vete; of Seven Fields; and Louis J. Aliotta, of Erie.
The remaining seven candidates have not publicly aligned with any presidential candidate. But at least three have offered hints about their support. Former Congressman Phil English of Erie says he’ll back the candidate most likely to beat the Democratic nominee in November, while state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe of Cranberry Township has said he’ll back the most consistent and conservative candidate. And Robert J. Yates of Erie County has indicated he’s “strongly impressed” by Kasich.
Others have said they’ll yield to the will of the electorate and support the top vote-getter in the district — at least on the first ballot.
If this all leaves you a little confused, you’re not alone. Nobody’s certain about their votes for delegate, even less sure about the outcome. Media scrutiny and a hard-fought campaign have exposed flaws in the presidential selection processes of several states, including Pennsylvania.
It’s up to the political parties to improve and modernize the processes with the focus on fair and open selection. But that will unfold in future elections. Tuesday’s primary, imperfect as it is, requires a high rate of participation.
