unit rule

noun

1. (in national conventions of the Democratic Party) a rule whereby a state's delegation votes as a unit, not recognizing minority votes within the delegation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of unit rule¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Answer: If your wife’s medical condition qualifies as a disability and she needs the window unit because of this disability, you may be able to request an exception from the window unit rule as a reasonable accommodation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But the Democratic National Convention rules committee decided against applying the two-thirds rule that year, opting for the unit rule instead—meaning that whichever candidate won a simple majority at the convention would receive 100% of the delegates’ support—and thus creating an opening for a challenger, and president Van Buren lost to pro-annexation candidate James Polk.

Read more on Time

During this period, the Republicans mostly used the two-thirds rule, but another option was available: the unit rule.

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Had the unit rule been applied during that convention, Grant most likely would have been nominated, and would have faced off against Winfield Scott Hancock in the general election.

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He imposed a unit rule, mandating that the candidate who got a majority of the delegation would get all the state's delegates.

Read more on US News