Differences between caucuses and primaries.......

[Darth_Kitten]

The american political system is a vast and scary thing.

Please explain to those of us not really familiar with the system. (it's fun to learn)

:)

[seriousstan]

1. Primaries = confidential voting. Caucus = public town meating where you chose a side.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Not strictly true, at least not everywhere.

In my state, Minnesota, you cast a presidential preference vote by secret ballot at the caucus, then you meet together to choose delegates to district conventions and vote on resolutions.

[chascarrillo]

5. Same in Washington. First ballot is secret and done at registration.

You don't even have to stick around. Just fill out the ballot and go.

[goodgd_yall]

9. And I think that is how New Mexico does it

Per a friend of mine who attended the one there.

[question everything]

12. However, there was no check of whether the voters were eligible to vote

or if they lived in the district.

In primaries, if you just moved, at least you get a provisional ballot that will not be tallied until checked.

[IDemo]

3. You get another ballot if your candidate is deemed "non-viable" in a caucus

If your first choice doesn't gain 15% of the votes on the first ballot, he or she is deemed a non-viable candidate and you can either choose to remain an "undecided" voter or align with one of the "viable" candidates. You will generally be lobbied by one or more people from opposing sides to join their camp.

Caucuses are a blast.

[CoffeeCat]

4. I was a caucus precinct captain...

...and the process is pure democracy is action.

It's exciting, it's respectful and dignified--and it also made me proud to be an American.

First, when you enter the room--you are counted. The presiding Chairperson, who works with the
precinct captains, makes sure that the counts are accurate. There are also several "observers"
sent from each candidate. They hang back and make sure that the process is fair.

Then, people file into their candidate groups. The groups are usually defined by campaign signs. Everyone
files in and the doors are closed at a certain time. A final count is taken.

Then, a count of supporters in each group is taken.

If any group has less than 15 percent support, that group is deemed "inviable". That means those supporters
will not count and the candidate receives no delegates. If this happen, these supporters can move into other
candidate groups or they can decide to sit out and not be counted.

Then, "realignment" happens. Each precinct captain gives a speech about their candidate, and everyone
listens. Others are invited to speak. Anyone can. People tell why they are supporting their candidate
and they can tell the story of how they came to support that candidate.

After people talk, people try to get the supporters of nonviable candidates into their camps. It's respectful,
it's really cool to watch. People discuss the issues and tout their candidates.

In my precinct, Obama and Edwards sent over three supporters to the Biden camp, to help him become "viable".
Biden got one delegate because of that.

After "realignment" is over, people make their final choices and then a final count is taken. Then the number
of delegates for each candidate is determined--based on how many people are in each group.

It is a fun, wonderful process. Reporters from "Newsweek" and other major media covered my caucus, and they
were so impressed and delighted with the process.

It is unfair that many Clinton supporters, demonize this most-democratic of processes. Many people might not
understand what happens in a caucus, and I hope that people will realize that all of this caucus negativity
only started this year---after Hillary lost the Iowa caucus.

The process is now flawed. It is open. It is gracious and it is respectful. Rules about being respectful
and gracious are very strict.

We are very proud of our state caucuses, and it makes me sad to see and hear that Hillary Clinton is willing
to disparage our entire process, in order to leverage herself.

She really is a consummate dirty-trick artist.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. Caucus tiny percent of population and last about 1 1/2 hrs people divide up and are counted

Primary ballot voting all day process just like the GE


now if you want to know just how much more complicated it can be throw in that most caucuses are open causcuses and their are also open primaries where republicns can come and vote in the Dem race.....insane shit eh?

[goodgd_yall]

7. For one: Caucuses=a limited time to choose your nominee

Primaries=all day opportunity to cast your vote.

Some states do not allow absentee ballots in their caucuses, so the disabled and people who have work schedules that don't fit into the caucus schedule are not able to take part in the election process.

[d.amber]

8. caucuses are exciting and democracy in action

Primary you do get more voters. In Washington, where it is almost all mail in ballots now, you pick your choice anytime you happened to deal with mail and mail the ballot out with the bills. It's unexciting. When you would go to a polling place and hit the button, atleast felt like you were doing something important. Mail in ballots are so uneventful. Then the state party will decide who from the party insiders will become the delegates for the state to go to National.

However, caucus, you go to location and sign in for your first choice or none and then you sit with your neighors and talk about who you support and try to get people to join your side or if everyone agrees then you assign the delegates won to each candidate and elect people in your group to go on to the various conventions in your state to represent the candidate you voted for. As they move up then there are fewer and fewer delegates assigned, but it is truely being party of the political process and you really feel that your vote means something and that you can make a difference.

I've lived in states that went both ways and I'll take a caucus over a primary any day of the week.

[elixir]

10. Just from the details above, it sounds like caucuses don't give everyone a chance to vote. Primarie

sound more democratic to me. Everyone gets to cast one vote - how are caucuses more democratic than that? Maybe because they work towards Obama's advantage?

[ISUGRADIA]

11. I'm so glad Hillary has been fighting against these horrible

caucuses over the last 16 years trying to end them.

:sarcasm: