Republican Candidates Guide Congressional District 3 Special Election. Utah Republican Party

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2 Table of Contents PAGE CONTENT 3 Message from the Chairman 4 The Platform 6 Intent to Run Form 6 Candidate Certification 7 Candidate Disclosure Statement 8 Ask Debate Overview 9 Ask Debate Questions 10 Convention Booth Information State Special Nominating Convention Proposed Rules Page 2

3 UTGOP Chairman Dear Republican Candidates for Congressional District 3, Congratulations on completing Step #1: Filing your candidacy! Thank you for your willingness to serve in this capacity. Having such a short time to campaign, I know you ll be extremely busy. In order to better assist you, the UTGOP is preparing to launch our first on-line debate: ASK. All of you are encouraged to participate. As the CD3 boundaries are very rural in areas, we thought this would be a great way to introduce you to those voters who might not have an opportunity to meet you in person, or to attend a live debate. Please read through this guide for information regarding the online ASK debate, the upcoming Nominating Convention on Saturday, June 17th (for the candidates who ve selected that path) as well as other UTGOP candidate materials. Should you have any questions or comments throughout this process, please don t hesitate to contact me. We are here to assist you however we can. Good luck, and all the best to you, Rob Anderson Chairman Page 3

4 Utah Republican Party Party Platform Ratified State Convention PREAMBLE We, the Republican Party of the Great State of Utah, affirm our belief in God and declare our support for government based upon a moral and spiritual foundation.we affirm freedom for every individual as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution. We believe that citizens needs are best met through free enterprise, private initiative, and volunteerism. We support the Rule of Law and believe in upholding the law of the land. THE PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT We believe government properly exists by the consent of the governed and must be restrained from intruding into the freedoms of its citizens. The function of government is not to grant rights, but to protect the unalienable, God-given rights of life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. PRIVATE PROPERTY We recognize the rights of the individual to own property. We resist any effort by government to take private property without an overwhelming need for public use. We strongly oppose the forfeiture of private property from innocent owners. REAFFIRMATION OF STATES RIGHTS We oppose congressional, judicial, and executive abrogation of the principle that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. We oppose unreasonable and intrusive federal mandates. ETHICS AND STANDARDS We demand honesty, integrity, morality, and accountability of our public officials. We will work to expose and stop corruption. NATIONAL SECURITY AND PUBLIC PROTECTION We support a military force of sufficient strength and readiness to deter any threat to our national sovereignty or to the safety and freedom of our citizens. We support the Constitutional mandate to protect and secure our national borders. We oppose placement of United States troops under any foreign command, including the United Nations. We support lawful efforts of local law enforcement agencies to protect citizens in their homes and in their communities. We urge reform of the legal system to accomplish a swift and balanced administration of justice, including consideration of rights of the victim. We support capital punishment when appropriate. SELF DEFENSE We support the individual constitutionally-protected right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes.we encourage personal responsibility for the care and use of these firearms. FREEDOM OF RELIGION We claim freedom of religion for every citizen and expect the protection of government in securing to us this unalienable right. We affirm the right to religious expression, including prayer, in both private and public. FAMILY VALUES We recognize the traditional family as the fundamental unit of society. We affirm that parents have the fundamental right and primary responsibility to direct the upbringing of their children and to provide nurturing care, discipline and training in moral values. RIGHT TO LIFE We believe in the right to life for both the born and unborn. We strongly oppose abortion, except to preserve the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest. We believe the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. We believe all human life is sacred regardless of age or infirmity, and therefore we oppose abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the public funding of any of these abhorrent practices. HUMAN SERVICES We believe that the primary responsibility for meeting basic human needs rests with the individual, the family, and the voluntary charitable organizations. We recognize, however, that there are special social needs which must be addressed through state human service programs. We support requiring welfare recipients to work towards self-sufficiency. HERITAGE We recognize the contributions made to our quality of life through ethnic diversity. EQUAL RIGHTS We believe that no individual is entitled to rights that exceed or supersede the God-given individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States Page 4

5 and the Constitution of the State of Utah. EDUCATION We believe that all children should have access to quality education. Parents have the primary right and responsibility to educate their children, and we support their right to choose public, private, or home education. We support incentives to promote competitive excellence. We encourage cooperative initiatives to help all Utahans become literate in English. We support the prudent and profitable use of school trust lands. We support all interest and dividends from the permanent State School Fund being distributed to each public and charter school to improve student academic performance. TAXATION We accept the necessity for limited taxation in order for government to perform and administer those services which meet essential public needs. However, we recognize that the power to tax is also the power to control, and believe that the best way to control government is to strictly control the amount of taxes imposed on the people. We encourage further simplification of tax systems, the elimination of the estate tax, and broad-based rate reduction where possible. REGULATION We recognize that government regulation can be a major impediment to productivity and to competition.we must rely more on market forces and less on government. Regulatory power now exercised by the federal government must be eliminated or returned to state and local governments. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT We believe that a strong, diversified economy based on a positive work ethic, a well trained and well educated work force, a business-friendly environment, and safe work place will help Utah compete in a world market place.we believe that developing our human resources is essential to the future of Utah.We support the Utah Right to Work Law.. THE ENVIRONMENT We appreciate the quality of our environment. Our air, water, and land are at the heart of our existence and must be protected through balanced management. We support reasonable laws and volunteer efforts to improve air and water quality.we continue to seek responsible solutions to controversies surrounding uses of our wilderness. We seek to preserve the environment while serving the best interests of our Utah citizens. We oppose as unconstitutional the declaration by any President without approval from Congress of any large tract of land as a national monument. We call on the Governor of the State of Utah to use the Constitutional Defense Fund and other resources at his disposal to bring any such declaration affecting Utah before the United States Supreme Court for reversal. JURY The jury is a fundamental institution of liberty, because it is the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution. The jury has the right and the authority to acquit if jurors feel justice will be served. IMMIGRATION America is a stronger and better nation because of the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of legal immigrants, and the Republican Party honors them.we believe that control of our borders is an urgent national security interest and our national sovereignty depends on those secure borders. We oppose illegal immigration and all forms of amnesty, or legal status, for illegal immigrants. We support suspending automatic U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrant parents. We oppose granting government benefits to those illegally present in the US.We oppose any temporary or guest worker program that would offer an automatic path to citizenship. We believe that current laws against employing illegal immigrants should be vigorously enforced, particularly to stem the now too common crime of identity theft in obtaining employment. UTAH STATE SOVEREIGNTY The 13 original Sovereign States in Constitutional Convention created the Constitution of the United States of America and subsequently ratified that document creating a Federal Government and granting to that Government limited and enumerated powers. The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States defines Federal powers as those enumerated in the Constitution and reserves all other powers to the States and to the People. It remains the sacred responsibility of the States as creators of the Federal Government to keep the federal powers within the limits set by the Constitution. We resolve that the Republican Party of the Great State of Utah and elected party members take any and all steps necessary to ensure that Federal powers exercised within the Great State of Utah not exceed those granted by the constitution of the United States, and that those usurpations of State Sovereign Powers already violated by the Federal Government be corrected by the State Legislature and enforced by the Governor s office thus protecting Utah State Sovereignty. OUR MISSION The Republican Party is a party by the people and for the people.we appreciate the productivity of our citizens, affirm the infinite worth of all individuals, and seek the best possible quality of life for all. We invite all citizens to join us in working together for a better Utah. Page 5

6 Intent to Run To ensure your name is on the ballot at the upcoming convention, all candidates must file an Intent to Run notice with the Utah Republican Party Office by June 9th, I,, intend to run as a Republican candidate in the Full Name Public Office Candidate is seeking. Candidate Certification In accordance with Article I, Section C of the Constitution, and Section 8 of the Bylaws, a candidate who fails to submit a completed Candidate Certification and Candidate Disclosure Statement, as required, shall not be a member of the and shall be disqualified as a candidate. I,, of am Candidate Name County of Residence Seeking the Nomination of:, Public Office Candidate is seeking Disctrict (if applicable) Address,, City Zip,, Telephone Website Address Hereby officially declare my candidacy for the Republican nomination for the above public office. I do solemnly swear that I meet the qualifications for holding that office, legally and constitutionally. I certify that my campaign and I are in compliance with the rules and processes set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws of the and will stay in compliance throughout my campaign. I understand that circumventing these party rules and processes will disqualify my candidacy for the nomination and from party membership. The contact information listed above is designated for receipt of official correspondence. Signature of Candidate Date Candidate Name (Please Print) Page 6

7 Candidate Disclosure Statement Please choose one of these items I have read the Platform. I support that Platform and accept it as the standard by which my performance as a candidate and as an officeholder should be evaluated. I certify that I am not a candidate, officer, delegate nor position holder in any party other than the Republican Party. OR I have read the Platform. Except for the Provisions specifically noted below*, I support that Platform and accept it as the standard by which my performance as a candidate and as an officeholder should be evaluated. I certify that I am not a candidate, officer, delegate nor position holder in any party other than the Republican Party. *Noted exceptions to Platform Provisions. (Add an addendum if you have more ) Signature of Candidate Date Candidate Name (Please Print) Page 7

8 UTGOP ASK ASK Debate Ask Study Know 3. All videos submitted may not be published by the campaigns or any of their affiliates independently of the UTGOP postings. a. This will help ensure equal viewing opportunities for all b. Breach of this rule will disqualify a candidate from being included on the State GOP Website c. A picture of the candidate and the phrase Declined to Participate will be placed on the website instead of a video. 4. Any candidate that doesn t participate in or is disqualified from participation in the ASK debate will have a picture of the candidate and the phrase Declined to Participate placed on the website instead of a video. PURPOSE The purpose of the ASK debate is to provide the voters with an opportunity to hear positions on an array of topics from Republican candidates on an even playing field. OVERVIEW All declared candidates will give an opening statement which will be limited to 1 minute and 30 seconds. Each candidate will also be allowed to answer a series of questions with a maximum response time of 1 minute per question. Lastly, each candidate will be allowed 1 minute for closing statements. Each candidate will be able to record their responses using whatever means they have and submit the recordings to the UTGOP who will then post the responses on the UTGOP website with the question or topic above and the videos side by side. RULES Any video submitted which exceeds the maximum time allotted will have the extra time cut from the end of the video. a. Even if this means the video is cut in the middle of the sentence. 2. Each candidate will have seven days from the time the instructions are sent out to submit their videos to the UTGOP. a. Any candidate who does not submit videos within this time frame will not be featured on the website. b. A picture of the candidate and the phrase Declined to Participate will be placed on the website instead of a video. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR VIDEOS: You can record your responses any way you see fit, including the option to simply record yourself with your cell phone. Each statement/question should be submitted as separate video files and titled as follows: [Candidate s LastName]_[Question Name] Here is an example. If my name were John Peterson and I was submitting a video response to a question title Criminal Justice I would title the video as follows: Peterson_Criminal Justice Each video submitted should also be accompanied by a description that is no longer than 50 words. Submit your videos by uploading them to a file transfer service (Like dropbox.com) and then sharing the links to the video to: AskDebate@utgop.org Page 8

9 UTGOP ASK Ask Study Know ASK Debate Questions OPENING STATEMENT (1.5 minute response) You have 1 minute and 30 seconds for your opening statement. LEGISLATIVE AGENDA (1 minute response) What is the first piece of legislation you plan to submit and why? DIFFERENCE (1 minute response) What would you do differently than Representative Chaffetz? BEARS EARS (1 minute response) DEADLINES All videos must be submitted by 5pm Friday, June 2nd HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR VIDEOS: You can record your responses any way you see fit, including the option to simply record yourself with your cell phone. Each statement/question should be submitted as separate video files and titled as follows: [Candidate s LastName]_[Question Name] Here is an example. If my name were John Peterson and I was submitting a video response to a question title Criminal Justice I would title the video as follows: Peterson_Criminal Justice What is your position on Bears Ears? Each video submitted should also be accompanied by a description that is no longer than 50 words. NET NEUTRALITY (1 minute response) Submit your videos by uploading them to a file transfer service (Like dropbox.com) and then sharing the links to the video to: What is your position on net neutrality? AskDebate@utgop.org THE ACA (1 minute response) What is your plan to address the current problems with the Affordable Care Act? COMMITTEE POSITIONS (1 minute response) Knowing you don t have a choice of which committee you might serve on, if you could choose, which committee would you be most interested in serving on? CLOSING STATEMENT (1 minute response) You have 1 minute for your closing statement. Page 9

10 Convention Booth Information CANDIDATES $500 - Single One 10x10 space One table You decorate $750 - Double One 10x20 space Two tables You decorate $ Quad One 20x20 space Three tables You decorate BUSINESS AND NON-CANDIDATES $200 Separate floor area from Candidate booths One Table You decorate REGISTRATION Registration will pull delegates through the Candidate Booth and Business areas See Proposed Convention Rules for Requirements Booth drawing will be Monday, June 12, 2017 at 12pm. Payment may be made through Anedote. ( booth_reg) Payment must be received before noon on June 12, 2017 in order to participate in the drawing. Candidates will draw first, then businesses and non-candidates Page 10

11 2017 State Special Nominating Convention Rules *** PROPOSED RULES *** A. PURPOSE 1. This 2017 Special Nominating Convention shall nominate a Republican Party candidate for the Third Congressional District. 2. No other business shall come before this convention if not stated in the call to the convention. B. CALL 1. The 3rd Congressional District 2017 Special Nominating Convention shall convene at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2017, at Skyridge High School. C. RULES OF ORDER 1. The State Party Constitution and Bylaws, these Rules and the current edition of Robert s Rules of Order shall govern this Convention. 2. These Rules shall govern any conflict with Robert s Rules. 3. The Convention Chair is responsible to: a. Expedite business in every way compatible with the rights of the delegates; b. Decide all questions of order, subject to appeal; c. Enforce rules relating to debate, order and decorum; d. Maintain the course and objectives of the Convention. D. ORDER OF BUSINESS 1. The order of business of this Convention shall follow the agenda sent in the call to the convention. 2. All challenges to the qualifications of an individual delegate to serve must be received in writing by 5:00 p.m. at State Party Headquarters three days prior to the day of the Convention (Wednesday, June 14th). The Credentials Committee shall attempt to contact challenged delegates to resolve any disputes and make a report for Convention adoption. E. SEATING AND ADMISSION 1. Members of the public and media will be admitted to the convention hall to view the proceedings, as long as they follow proper conduct and the directions of the Convention Chair and Sergeant at Arms. 2. Only delegates may participate in the business of the Convention; however, the Convention Chair may invite any individual to address the Convention. 3. In the hall, seating shall be general seating with a separate area for visitors and media as allowed. Only credentialed media members may sit in the media section. A media credential card is non-transferable and must be obtained from the Convention Chair s appointed Media Coordinator. Each delegate to this Convention will be issued a credential card that is non-transferable and must be displayed at the time of balloting and any voting. In the event of electronic voting, each delegate will be issued an electronic device that is non-transferable. Each delegate who does not return their voting electronic device will have to pay money to the to cover any and all costs and penalties associated with replacing the voting electronic device. F. RECOGNITION TO SPEAK 1. A delegate must state his or her name and county and be recognized by the Convention Chair before speaking on Convention business. 2. No delegate may speak more than once or longer than two (2) minutes upon the same question, unless allowed by a majority of the Convention. G. CANDIDATE RULES AND REQUIREMENTS 1. Only Republican candidates who have properly filed for elected public office as required by law and meet the requirements of the Bylaws shall be considered by the Convention. 2. In accordance with Party Bylaws, all candidates including those for the positions of National Committeeman, National Committeewoman, Presidential Elector, National Delegate, and Alternate National Delegate shall have filed a letter of intent and disclosure statement at State Party Headquarters at least 7 days prior to June 10, 2017 by 5:00pm the 2017 Special Nominating Convention. 3. Signage and distribution of literature rules shall be established by the Rules Committee, convention officers and the host facility. 4. The Candidate or his/her representative shall sign a document which states they have read and understand the CANDIDATE RULES AND REQUIREMENTS. 5. Candidates will observe proper decorum, subject to the ruling of the Convention Chair. 6. All Candidates, special interest groups, and other organized groups shall pay a $500 refundable cleaning deposit before the Convention. A group may consist of one or more individuals. 7. Anyone distributing materials at the Convention shall be responsible to remove their materials immediately after Page 11

12 the Convention, from the facility and the parking area. Cleanup is required to get the $500 refundable cleaning fee returned. 8. Basic rules apply to all who have paid the $500 fee. (The intent is to have fairness, to treat all equally). 9. All literature distributed must prominently display the name and contact information of the group or person responsible for it. Any literature being distributed without this disclosure may be removed from the premises. H. NOMINATIONS AND CANDIDATE PRESENTATIONS 1. Candidates shall be allowed six (6) minutes for presentation. 2. Candidates are not required to have a nomination or second but may if they so desire. The total time limit remains the same regardless. 3. The order of presentation shall be decided by random drawing. Refer to Section K.2.a below. 4. The intent is to have fairness, to treat all candidates equally. 5. In Multiple Round Balloting, prior to a second or subsequent round of balloting, remaining candidates shall be allowed one (1) minute each for additional presentation if they desire. I. PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENTS 1. Candidates and organizations are responsible for observance of these rules by their staff, campaigns, committees, supporters and delegates. Violations will result in forfeiture of deposits and removal of all signs and literature of the violating group or individual. Each candidate or organization is responsible for the clean up of anything produced by, distributed by, or bearing the name of that candidate or organization. 2. Candidates and organizations will have access to the booth area on Saturday, June 17, 2017 beginning at 7am for booth signage and set up. 3. No campaigning or electioneering will be allowed within 10 ft of the credentialing, registration or balloting areas. 4. Signage and distribution of literature rules shall be established by the Rules Committee, Convention officers and the host facility. 5. Signage: a. Candidates may start placing signs starting at 7am on Saturday, June 17, b. Sign placement must comply with the rules of the host facility. Sign placement will be limited to specific designated areas in the convention center which have been approved by the Convention Coordinator. Signs shall be allowed within 3 ft from the walls. No signs may be placed within 10 ft of an exterior door. c. No signs may appear in or around the staging area of the main meeting area, except for booth spaces rented by the candidate/group d. Signs and campaign materials may not block any exit, service outlets, or fire extinguishers. e. Signs outside must be must be free standing. No signs may be placed on the grass or parking lot. Sign placement on walkways will limited to specific designated areas which have been approved by the Convention Coordinator. Signs may be placed alongside the public road using metal 8 brackets. f. No helium balloons are allowed. g. Nothing may be affixed to any interior or exterior surface at the convention center. h. Projections (images projected electronically) are allowed only on surfaces directly above or immediately behind rented booth space by the candidate or organization that reserved that space, or as part of a media presentation if included in individual candidate s speaking time by the candidate designated to speak. i. No signs may appear in or around the staging area which includes the meeting area. In effect, no signs are allowed in the main assembly hall or any area where voting occurs. j. No signs may hang from the outside of the building. No signs may be affixed to lamp posts, sign posts, fences, or trees. No signs may be in parking areas or on sidewalks. k. No adhesive decals or signs of any kind are permitted for distribution on the premises. Any organization or individual distributing decals of any kind will surrender their $500 deposit and pay any additional direct costs incurred during cleanup. Decorations are not permitted on ceilings painted surfaces, columns, fabric, decorative walls or fire sprinklers. All decorative materials must be flame proof in accordance with fire regulations. 6. Booth and room space may only be rented from the party. a. All booth and room space, including the setting up of any tables inside or outside the convention center, must be obtained from or approved by the Utah Republican Party. b. Booth space will be chosen by lottery on Monday, June 12, Neither glitter nor confetti are allowed in the convention Page 12

13 facilities. No hay or animals are allowed in the convention facilities, with the exception of service animals for disabled individuals. 8. The Rules Committee may make alterations or amendments to this section of the rules as needed to meet the demands or the requirements of the host facility and Utah Republican Party. 9. There shall be no restrictions on the distribution of printed material, except that materials may not be pre-distributed on the chairs in the convention hall or distributed in the delegate assembly area or any other areas prohibited in these rules. All printed material shall have a disclaimer identifying the responsible person or organization and phone number and be clearly printed on the material. 10. Candidates, organizations and individuals using the Convention for distribution, campaigning or any other promotional or reporting use shall be responsible to research and comply with the hosting facility s policies and procedures and the Arrangements Committee s requirements. 11. Any video or other recording and its purpose at the Convention shall be disclosed in advance to the Arrangements Committee or Convention Chair for approval. In order for any video to be utilized at the convention it must be delivered to State Party on a thumb drive by 3pm on Friday, June 16, There is no overnight parking at the host facility. No parking on sidewalks or blocking entrances. 13. Only the may distribute materials in the Convention s main assembly halls or in any area where voting occurs. J. QUORUM 1. Any number of credentialed state delegates officially assembled shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting business. K. GENERAL VOTING RULES 1. Convention General Voting a. Other than the election of candidates or other balloting as noticed in the convention call, voting shall be by voice, by a show of delegate credentials, paper, electronic voting device, or scantron ballot. b. When it is clear that there has been a full vote and there can be no reasonable doubt as to which side is in the majority, the Convention Chair may not recognize a call for division. c. The first call for division shall be recognized if 25 delegates rise to support it. This first call shall be considered to be a call for a standing vote judged by the Convention Chair. d. After the ruling on the standing vote, a second call for division shall be accepted if 50 delegates stand in support. This division shall be an actual count of the delegates. e. Suspension of a Convention Rule shall be by 2/3 of delegates present. f. There will be no absentee or proxy voting. g. The Credentials Committee, directly after opening ceremonies, shall report the number of delegates registered as present with proper credentials and shall make a final report immediately preceding balloting. h. Unopposed candidates shall be declared the party s nominee by the Convention Chair. i. After all properly nominated candidate speeches, voting will be conducted in the designated locations when the Convention Chair calls for the vote. j. It is the prerogative of the Convention Chair to open and close balloting at appropriate times. 2. Balloting a. In all races, names shall appear on the ballot according to the following system: Each letter of the alphabet shall be randomly drawn. The order in which the letters are drawn shall be the order in which they appear on the ballot. The names of the candidates shall be alphabetized within each individual letter group according to the random drawing. The result of this random alphabet drawing will also be used to determine speaking order. b. The random alphabet drawing shall occur on Monday, June 12, 2017 at a time designated by the State Party. c. After candidate speeches, voting will be conducted in the designated area when the Convention Chair calls for the vote. d. Paper Ballots: (a) containing more than one (1) vote in a race; or (b) which are not clearly marked; or (c) with a vote for any person who was not properly nominated; or (d) for a candidate who has withdrawn or been eliminated from the race; will be considered spoiled and will not be counted for that race, either for a candidate or in the calculation of a majority threshold. Spoiled paper ballots may be exchanged prior to deposit in the ballot box upon the showing of proper credentials and the surrendering of the spoiled ballot at the Spoiled Ballot Desk(s) where the spoiled ballot shall be exchanged and immediately destroyed in the presence of the requesting voter. Only State Delegates, upon presentation of Page 13

14 proper credentials, will be allowed to deposit their own ballots in the designated ballot boxes when casting a paper ballot. e. Electronic Voting Device: State Delegates will be given the opportunity to verify their electronic voting device is working properly by conducting test votes. If a delegate needs assistance in obtaining or using an electronic voting device, a help table will be provided for their assistance. Upon verification, delegates shall cast their ballots electronically in the contested races that are balloted through electronic voting. 3. Counting Room & Results a. The Elections Committee Chair is responsible for the ballot counting room and poll watchers. b. The Elections Committee Chair shall be responsible for the security of the ballots, ballot boxes, the accuracy of the count, and directing the access and conduct of all persons within the ballot counting room. c. Poll watchers belongings such as purses, wallets, and all forms of electronics must be stored in a secure area of the ballot counting room. d. Poll watchers who violate or break any other associated rule are immediately disqualified from the Convention and may be asked to leave. e. The Elections Committee Chair is responsible to address any election related complaint and has the authority to take any election related complaint to the Convention Chair. f. Each opposed candidate for federal races shall be permitted to have one poll watcher. This poll watcher may not leave the ballot counting room before the vote tally for that office has been announced to the Convention. g. Ballot counting shall not commence until after polls have been announced closed by the Convention Chair. Challenges to balloting must be made to the Convention Chair or Designee before that time expires. h. Official tally sheets shall be used to record each counted vote, and shall be kept with the supporting ballots. These materials shall be preserved by the Party Officers in a secure location for at least five (5) business days following the Convention (until 5:00 pm, Friday, June 23, 2017). i. In the case of multiple ballots, more than one candidate may be eliminated in each round, provided that the sum of the votes received by the candidates to be eliminated does not exceed the number of votes received by the next highest candidate, and that at least two candidates remain on the ballot. The two top candidates shall participate in the final ballot. j. A candidate for an office that receives a majority or more of the votes cast at any point in the balloting process at the state special nominating convention shall proceed to the primary election. k. Any challenges to the counting process must be made to the Elections Committee Chair before the election results of that race are announced. l. Due to the time constraint on submitting the Party s nominee to the Lt. Governor s office by Monday, June 19, 2017, 12:00 pm, all challenges or recounts must occur on Saturday, June 17, m. Recounts or challenges may only be brought if they might legitimately affect the outcome of the election. n. In the event of a tie, to determine which candidate advances to a succeeding round of balloting, the candidates shall be called before the delegates for a coin toss. The candidate further down the ballot shall call heads or tail while the coin is in the air. The winner advances to the next round of balloting. o. If a coin toss was used to determine the winner, no challenge or recount request will be recognized. Page 14