<p>Qualified alternates who get a nomination from a senator or congressman but aren’t admitted as “that congressman’s” nominee, don’t count against their 5 allowances. That’s how LOA’s are often filled and how multiple nominees sometimes come from a single district or senator. I’ve written about this before on this forum, so I know there’s a more complete explanation of this somewhere. Qualified alternates can make up several hundred members of every class.</p>