§ 2-13-303 — Certification of delegates, alternates and delegates-at-large - Elections - Allocations - Apportionment of delegates according to primary votes

(a) On the date established in § 2-5-205(c) next preceding the election, the chair of each statewide political party will certify to the secretary of state and the coordinator of elections the number of delegates and alternates to the national convention allocated by the national party to be elected by the state party. (b) The chair of each statewide political party will further certify to the secretary of state and the coordinator of elections: (1) The number of delegates allocated to the state party by the national party to various congressional districts within Tennessee; and (2) The number of delegates-at-large allocated by the national party to the state party. (c) (1) Delegates-at-large and alternates shall be elected in accordance with the rules of the respective parties. (2) If the party executive committee decides to elect the at-large delegates and alternates, it shall meet to do so after the first Thursday in April and before the first Thursday in May, such election to be by open ballot of the committee members, and no secret balloting is permitted. Alternate delegates are elected proportional to the vote for delegates in the party's delegate election. (d) All state party allocations must be in accordance with the charter, rules, and bylaws of the respective national or state party. (e) (1) There shall be at least three (3) delegates allocated to each congressional district unless such allocation violates the charter, bylaws or rules of the respective national political parties. (2) Where a political party has allocated three (3) delegates from each congressional district by national party rules, at least one-third (1/3) of the at-large delegates shall be elected by popular vote on the ballot. (f) The respective party executive committees shall meet prior to the date established in § 2-5-205(c) to determine how the provisions of this section with respect to the division of delegates by district and at-large and the method of selecting at-large delegates, and the chair of each party shall certify the decisions of the executive committee to the secretary of state and the coordinator of elections. (g) In no case shall the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes in a primary have apportioned to such candidate a lesser number of delegates than the candidate with the next greatest number of votes. If one (1) candidate with a total number of votes statewide greater than other candidates receives fewer delegates from districts than the other candidates then the at-large delegates shall be so apportioned as to reflect the percentage of the vote received by the candidate with the greatest number of votes and that candidate's competitors.

Legislative History

Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 624,s 1, eff. 11/6/2024. Acts 1976, ch. 421, § 3; 1977, ch. 316, § 5; T.C.A., § 2-1343; Acts 1980, ch. 483, §§ 1-3; 1986, ch. 562, §§ 8-11; 1995, ch. 444, § 1; 2003 , ch. 374, §§ 5, 6.