Tuesday 4 March 2008: 17 of the 20 Rhode Island delegates to the Republican National Convention are proportionally allocated to the presidential contenders in today's Rhode Island primary. A mandatory 15 percent threshold is required in order for a presidential contender to receive delegates. [Article III Rule 3.02]

National Convention Delegates are distributed equally between the state's 2 Congressional Districts. Should there be an odd number delegates, the extra delegate is assigned to the Congressional District with the largest number of registered voters at the previous general election.

• 17 delegates are to be allocated proportionally to presidential contenders based on the primary results in each of the State's 2 congressional districts.
• CD 1: 8 (325,929 registered voters)
• CD 2: 9 (338,311 registered voters)

Each delegate's name and Presidential preference appears on the primary ballot. The highest vote-getters become delegates and alternates (up to the number won by the Presidential candidate).

In addition, 3 party leaders, the National Committeeman, the National Committeewoman, and the chairman of the Rhode Island's Republican Party, will attend the convention as unpledged delegates by virtue of their position.

• The automatic delegates are: Chairman Giovanni Cicione of Barrington, National Committeewoman Eileen Slocum of Newport and National Committeeman Rob Manning of Charlestown.

All Delegates elected under a Presidential candidate shall be required to vote for such Presidential candidate at the National Convention at every opportunity until such Delegate is released. Pledged Delegates may only be released by the Presidential candidate to whom such Delegate is committed or by affirmation vote of no less than 75 percent of all the elected Delegates committed to such candidate. [Article IV Rules 4.01, 4.02a, 4.02b]