As the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee this week, nearly 2,500 delegates are gathering for a roll call vote to select the party's presidential nominee. Former President Donald Trump, who has been the presumptive nominee for months, is poised to officially become the party's standard-bearer after the roll call.
Most of the delegates are already bound to support Trump, with at least 2,268 delegates committed to him. While some delegates were initially slated to support former candidate Nikki Haley, many have since confirmed their intention to vote for Trump at the convention.
During the roll call, the leader of each state delegation will announce their results in alphabetical order. If a delegation passes, they will have another opportunity to announce their results at the end of the roll call.
Republican delegates are bound to their assigned candidate, unlike Democratic delegates who can vote their conscience. This ensures that Trump will likely be the only candidate formally in contention for the nomination, as he is the only candidate to have won a plurality of delegates in at least five states.
State party rules vary on how delegates bound to withdrawn candidates can vote. While some states require delegates to maintain their pledge to the candidate they were initially bound to, others allow delegates to vote for a different candidate once the original candidate has withdrawn.
Overall, the Republican National Convention is expected to proceed smoothly, with Trump securing the nomination and solidifying his position as the party's presidential candidate for the upcoming election.
