Here's why all of D.C.'s delegate votes went to Trump — even though they didn't vote for him

Delegates wear roll call hats.
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The nomination of Donald Trump is underway, but there was one bit of confusion when it came time for the District of Columbia to participate in the roll call.

The chairperson of D.C.'s delegation announced the votes: 10 for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and nine for Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R). Just moments later, the assistant secretary of the convention proclaimed from the stage that all 19 of the votes are going to Donald Trump. Since there wasn't any debate, there was some confusion after the declaration, but there's a simple enough explanation, courtesy of Business Insider's Josh Barro: If only one candidate is placed in nomination, all D.C. delegates are bound to that candidate.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.