Correct, generally after the first ballot. It's been that way all your life. And your parents life. Grandparents too. Possibly even your great-great-grandparents life.
Since my G-G-Grandfather was an Abolitionist who was one of the original Republicans - he was a Southerner who moved to the Free State of Iowa in 1852 in opposition to slavery - I'm sure he would have known and participated.
But I doubt it was as perverted a process as we see now, and I really don't care that "it's been that way for a while". And no, we don't have to just accept it. What we are seeing now is the problem with operating that way: someone can game the system.
So once again Mr. Go-Along-To-Get-Along...the Stupid Party can either change to reflect its constituents interests or...dry up and blow away.
That is precisely the problem. The system is archaic. In the past when limitations on travel time and the dissemination of information were prohibitive, it made sense to send delegates to a convention. The assumption was that the delegate that I sent would represent me in the nominating process.
What happens at conventions today is a far cry from what it was originally intended to do. I'm certain that back room dealing has been around since there have been delegates at conventions, but the time has come to do away with them both.
Given that candidates can get their messages out to people all over the country at the same time and the same speed using modern media and the internet, a simple run-off election would be a much better process.