Tuesday 7 February 2012: Republican Party Precinct Caucuses meet to choose the precinct's delegates to the BPOU [="Basic Political Organization Unit" (the next higher tier: County, State Senate District or State House District)] Convention. There will also be a non-binding straw poll re: Presidential Preference held in coordination with these Precinct Caucuses. (NOTE: It is the later Congressional District and State Conventions that will actually elect Republican National Convention delegates).

• There is no formal system applied in the Precinct Caucuses to relate the presidential preference of the Caucus participants to the choice of the precinct's delegates to the Republican Convention of the BPOU [which may be a County, State Senate District or State House District] in which the precinct is located. The participants at each Precinct Caucus alone determine if presidential preference is to be a factor in such choice and, if so, how it is to be applied.

Here's how we estimate the delegate count on 7 February 2012: (Note that zero national convention delegates are allocated during the Precinct Caucuses - national convention delegates are first elected in April.)

We will soft count the state's 37 non-party leader delegates proportionally according to the popular vote for those candidates receiving 5% or more of the vote. This is a very rough estimate and will change by the time the district and state conventions meet.

Friday 17 February - Saturday 31 March 2012: Republican Party BPOU [="Basic Political Organization Unit"] Conventions convene in each BPOU. Each BPOU [either a County, State Senate District or State House District] Convention chooses delegates to both the Congressional District Conventions and the State Convention.

• BPOU Conventions choose both the BPOU's delegates to the Republican Party Convention of the Congressional District the BPOU is a part of as well as the BPOU's delegates to the Minnesota State Republican Convention. Again, there is no formal system applied in the BPOU Convention to relate the presidential preference of the BPOU Convention delegates to the choice of the BPOU's delegates to either the Republican Convention of the Congressional District in which the BPOU is located or the Minnesota State Republican Convention. The delegates in attendance at each BPOU Convention alone determine if presidential preference is to be a factor and, if so, how it is to be applied.

Saturday 31 March - Sunday 22 April 2012: Republican Party District Conventions convene in each congressional district. As the delegates to the Minnesota State Republican Convention have already been chosen, the sole business of the District Convention- insofar as the presidential campaign is concerned- is that of choosing the delegates to the Republican National Convention from the said congressional district.

• Each of Minnesota's 8 congressional districts is assigned 3 National Convention delegates. Thus, a total of 24 district delegates will be chosen by these Congressional District Conventions. These 24 delegates to the Republican National Convention will be allocated to the presidential contenders in such a way as to be determined by each Congressional District Convention. Once more, there is no formal system governing how the District Convention is to go about indicating its presidential preference in its choice of the National Convention delegates from a given congressional district. It is the delegates in attendance at the Congressional District Convention alone who decide how best to go about this.

31 March- CD 7: Santorum 2, Paul 1.
14 April- CD 3: Paul 3.
14 April- CD 5: Paul 3.
14 April- CD 6: Paul 3.
21 April- CD 1: Paul 2, Unknown 1
21 April- CD 2: Paul 3.
21 April- CD 4: Paul 3.
21 April- CD 8: Paul 2, Unknown 1.
22 April- CD 1.

Friday 18 May - Saturday 19 May 2012: The Minnesota State Republican Convention officially convenes. The State Convention chooses the 13 at-large delegates (10 base at-large delegates plus 3 bonus delegates) to the Republican National Convention.

• There is no formal system of allocating these 13 at-large National Convention delegates to presidential contenders. These delegates will be allocated according to the vote of the Minnesota State Convention as a whole.

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

At-large delegates may be bound on the first ballot, unless released by the candidate, if directed by the state convention.

No delegate to the Republican National Convention shall be bound by Party rules (unless bound by the State Convention pursuant to the State Party Constitution, Article 5, Section 3D) or by State law to cast his/her vote for a particular candidate on any ballot at the convention. [BYLAWS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA - ARTICLE VI]
No Delegate to the Republican National Convention shall be bound by party rules or by state law to cast his/her vote for a particular candidate on any ballot at the convention except that the state convention may bind the Delegates whom it elects to the National Convention of the Republican Party on the first ballot to vote for a candidate for the office of President of the United States, unless they be released by said candidate. [REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA CONSTITUTION. Section 5: C.]

19 May 2012 from NPR: Paul supporters score near sweep of national delegates ... "32 of the 40 delegates heading to Tampa are confirmed supporters of Ron Paul ... Paul supporters also picked up the 13 of the 13 alternate delegates to the RNC ..."

20 May 2012 from Star Tribune Paul power takes over state GOP convention: "... he [Paul] won 12 of 13 open delegate spots ... The 13th went to ... [Congressman CD 6] Michele Bachmann...."

21 May 2012 from ABC News: Minnesota just gave most of its delegates to Ron Paul: 12 of the 13 available at the convention, and 32 of the 40 overall.

Notes:

On 6 December 2010 the Minnesota Republican party has disciplined 18 party members for backing 2010 Independence Gubernatorial candidate Tom Horner. Those banned from party activities for 2 years (including the 2012 National Convention) include former Governor Arne Carlson, former Governor Arne Carlson Al Quie, and former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger.

HF 986 and SF 696 were filed on 9 March 2011. Both would move the 2012 precinct caucuses from the 1st Tuesday in February to the 1st Tuesday in March.