Why caucuses are stupid, undemocratic, and need to be done away with (HRC Group)

[Yavin4]

Who has time for all of this shit? I don't. Let me vote and let me go home.

[fleabiscuit]

1. We vote by mail in Oregon. I highly recommend it. eom

[Mosby]

2. They should go

I don't think I have even been to a voting site in more than 15 years.

I vote by mail.

[liberal N proud]

3. They do make the process interesting

Good or bad, they require participation and make it interesting, but then I am a political junkie.

[otohara]

4. Starting A Change.org Petition

to do away with this bullshit in CO. Leaders of the Democratic Party of CO need to get the law back to the way it was.

We used to have primary but that was before all mail ballots and turnout was dismal - the Dems went back to caucus due to money issues. Then even fewer people participated but hey it was cheap. Then 2008 came and BOOM!

For a party that says make every vote count and all people should vote - this system disenfranchises millions of Democrats.

[Treant]

5. Conceptually,

it's to get the most involved participants into close contact with the campaign and its coordinators, resulting in a higher percentage of volunteering. That probably works out well, I don't know offhand. But it sounds reasonable.

Of course, it also disfavors the very old, people who work that day, the disabled, and anybody who feels their vote shouldn't be public or cannot, for business or family reasons, have it be public.

On balance, I'm more in favor of primaries, with the states required to pay for them (and Federal grants to fund them, if necessary).

[brush]

6. I agree. Caucuses are exclusionary as it takes hours to participate . . .

versus a primary where you can vote and be in and out in 15 minutes, especially on work days.

I caucused in Nevada and it took long lines, inexperience operatives and two and a half hours.

IMO they are outdated. Who has time for that anymore? The only reason I participated is that they had the Nevada one on a Saturday.

And again, who has time for that (versus 15 minutes in a primary) even on your big day when not working to run errands one can't get to on workdays, not to mention family time?

[Beaverhausen]

7. I agree with all of your points

they may have worked in the 18th and 19th centuries, but it's ridiculous to hold caucuses in this 24 hour world we live in.

[localroger]

8. So naturally, here in Louisiana

...certain Important People were whining that the primary election is too expensive and we should switch to a caucus system so the parties can pay for it instead of the state.