The hope among some in the Republican party is that even if Trump achieves a clear majority, delegates formally bound to the real estate mogul on the first ballot would in fact vote to change the rules and then defect.
(The last time this happened on the Democratic side was 1952.) The superdelegate system could have helped push a candidate to the majority-delegate threshold if he or she were just short.
On the one hand, in a case where one candidate had a fairly clear plurality of delegates, but not an outright majority, uncommitted delegates (especially super delegates) could align behind them to give them their majority.
But he needs more than a bare plurality, rather one approaching a majority of delegate votes.
"If Donald Trump gets a majority [1,237 delegates] and the majority of delegates vote for him and he doesn't become the nominee, then I think that would be a huge deal and that would be wrong," Counts said.
But if Trump does not secure a majority of delegates on that first ballot, Arizona's delegates become "unbound," allowing them to switch their allegiances.
The majority of delegates are bound to him due to state rules that require delegates to follow the popular vote from the primary.
(At the Republican convention, male delegates will outnumber women by more than two to one. The majority of delegates at the Democratic convention that ended Thursday were women).
A majority of delegates then voted in favor.
The majority of delegates are still senior officials (68% in one Yaan county cited).
"John Kasich will play the primary role of blocking Donald Trump from reaching a majority of delegates".
