RNC To Change 2016 Rules

The Republican Party is poised to change the rules of the 2016 presidential primary Thursday in order to create a faster, more compressed nominating process that avoids the chaos that marked the back and forth of 2012 GOP primary.

In a meeting of the RNC’s Rules Committee scheduled for 3PM today, the group is slated to approve sweeping changes to how the Republican Party nominates its presidential candidate.

The changes will allow four carve outs for the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada to allow them to hold their contests in February. No other state will be allowed to hold a primary until March 1. The primary season will conclude by late May late though as the Republican Convention will be held in late June or early July and party rules make clear that the last primary has to be held 45 days in advance.

If states move up and hold their primaries outside the rules, they will face significant penalities if these proposals are passed. Assuming these rule changes are approved by the Rules Committee, they will go before the full RNC for ratification on Friday.