So you think you're voting for Candidate A's delegate, when you might really be voting for someone quite willing to go with Candidate B on the first ballot. That stinks.
It is not really that difficult. I live in York County and was able to easily find a sample ballot for my district and a guide as to who the delegates are supporting or how they intend to vote.
https://yorkcountypa.gov/images/pdf/ballots/townships/rep/York%20Twp%204-1.pdf
http://www.yorkpagop.org/Websites/yorkgop/images/Delegate_Voter_Guide_2016.pdf
Note that there is a meeting tonight that I may go to: We encourage you to meet the delegates. The York912 Patriots will host a Candidates night for the GOP Delegate Candidates on Monday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Shiloh Fire Company, 2190 Carlisle Road, York, PA 17408.
I would note that there are some valid reasons for delegates to be unbound. Lets say that voters of the PA Primary vote for Kasich and he drops out before Cleveland (or they vote in the majority in my district for one of the candidates still on the ballot who have already dropped out of the race Bush, Carson, Rubio not likely but .) or that either Trump or Cruz win the majority in PA in my district but completely implode by the convention. The delegate is then free to make an informed and reasonable vote at the convention voting for whom he or she thinks is in the best interests of the voters. That is the basis of a representative political system which is what we have i.e. we are republic, not a democracy.
One could argue that this voter needs to educate himself more. I would disagree with that. Voting should be straightforward, and free of these Byzantine rules.
The rules arent that hard and I would argue that voters who are not willing to educate themselves should not vote I would prefer they didnt in fact.
That sounds like a lot of work. Can’t I just show up for 5 minutes and mark an X?
That statement actually contains my entire objection to the process. It should not be "how they intend to vote". It should be "how they must vote".
I freely admit that first-ballot vote-flipping is probably rare overall. And it's not an issue at all when someone goes to the convention with the nomination already locked up.
However, these are not normal times.
The rules to vote are too hard if you’re an uneducated liberal.