Saturday 3 March 2012: Precinct Caucuses. Republican Party Caucuses meet in each precinct at 10 a.m. Participants are required to sign a form stating they are Republicans (voters do not have to declare political party membership to vote in the state's regular primaries or general elections).

Each Precinct Caucus chooses the precinct's delegates to the County Convention or Legislative District Caucuses [WSRP rules 14, 15, 16]. The County Conventions will, in turn, choose delegates to the State Convention.

• 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. 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.

The Precinct Caucuses will conduct a non-binding Presidential straw poll. Since no National Convention delegates are bound to Presidential contenders, these caucuses do not violate the RNC's Tuesday 6 March 2012 timing rule.

Here's how we estimate the delegate count on 3 March 2012: (Note that zero national convention delegates are allocated during the Precinct Caucuses - national convention delegates are first elected in May.)

We will allocate the state's unbound 40 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 state convention meets.

Saturday 17 March - Saturday 21 April 2012: Republican Party County Conventions convene (no earlier than 24 March) and Legislative District Caucuses convene (no earlier than 17 March). Each Convention/Caucus chooses delegates to the State Convention. [WSRP rule 19].

• There is no formal system applied in the Convention/Caucus to relate the presidential preference of the Convention/Caucus delegates to the Washington State Republican Convention. Each Convention/Caucus alone determines if presidential preference is to be a factor and, if so, how it is to be applied.

Tuesday 24 April 2012: Last day for conducting Republican Party County Conventions.

Wednesday 30 May - Saturday 2 June 2012: The Washington Republican State Convention (consisting of 1,500 delegates, 1,500 alternates, and the automatic delegates) convenes [WSRP rule 36].

National Convention delegate candidates declare their Presidential preference or uncommitted status at the time they are nominated. These delegates are bound for the first ballot at the National Convention [WSRP rule 37].

• The State convention meets in Congressional District Caucuses. Each of the 10 caucuses elects 3 National Convention District delegates.
• The State convention as a whole elects 10 At-Large National Convention delegates.

3 party leaders, the National Committeeman, the National Committeewoman, and the chairman of the Washington's Republican Party, will attend the convention as unbound delegates by virtue of their position.

Results from http://www.tacoma2012.com/

Notes:

SB 5119, which cancels the 2012 presidential primary by amending RCW 29A.56.020, was signed by Governor Christine "Chris" Gregoire on 13 May 2011. The bill's sponsors were Senators Craig A. Pridemore (Democratic) and Adam Kline. Since the bill expires in 2013, there may be a Presidential Primary in 2016. Note: In the last 2 cycles, the Washington Democrats (2004, 2008) nominated by caucus while the Washington Republican nominated by caucus in 2004 and by both caucus and primary in 2008.

Somewhat related: HB 1860, sponsored by state Representative Christopher Hurst(Democratic) had its first reading on 7 February 2011. The bill moves the election of precinct committee officers to the presidential primary.

HB 1325, requested by Governor Christine "Chris" Gregoire and Secretary of State Sam Reed; and sponsored by Democratic Representatives Sherry Appleton and John McCoy, was first read on 19 January 2011. The bill prohibits a presidential primary from being held in 2012.