A question about the Texas caucus.

[Perky]

You only can vote in the cauces if you voted in the primary. How do they know you voted in the primary?

Do they give you something beyond an "I voted" sticker?

[crispini]

1. They stamp your voter registration card,

and they enter your name in the pollbook when you vote. Then they give the pollbook to the people working the caucus.

:hi:

[TexasObserver]

2. See post 9 by VOR down below.

A stamp on your card, or a receipt, or your name on the list of early voters, or as VOR sets out most clearly down below in this thread.

[Yael]

4. What is the purpose of the caucus -- extra delegates not assigned at the primary?

Does one override the other, or are different delegates assigned at different venues?

[TexasObserver]

5. See the body of my post for all the details.

Tuesday 4 March 2008:
Tier 1.

126 of 228 delegates to the Democratic National Convention are allocated to presidential contenders based on the results of the voting in today's Texas Presidential Primary. A mandatory 15 percent threshold is required in order for a presidential contender to be allocated National Convention delegates at the senatorial district level.
Texas has 127 district delegates apportioned among its 31 STATE SENATORIAL DISTRICTS as follows: (SD= "Senatorial District")
• 126 district delegates are to be allocated proportionally to presidential contenders based on the primary results in each of the State's 31 state senatorial districts (each senatorial district being assigned 2 to 7 National Convention delegates based on how well each district had supported the Democratic nominee for President in 2000 and Governor in 2002).
• SD 31: 2 delegates
• SDs 6, 7, 8, 9, 24, 28: 3 delegates each
• SDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 25, 27, 29, 30: 4 delegates each
• SDs 10, 20, 21, 26: 5 delegates each
• SDs 14, 23: 6 delegates each
• SD 13: 7 delegates
In addition, precinct conventions are to be convened no earlier than 7:15 P.M. local time the day of the presidential primary (the polls will have closed in Texas at 7 P.M.) to begin the process of choosing the delegates to County and Senate District Conventions.

Saturday 29 March 2008:
Tier 2.

County and Senate District Conventions select delegates to State Convention.

Friday 6 June - Saturday 7 June 2008:
Tier 3.
State Convention.

The State Convention will choose the remaining 67 pledged delegates. A mandatory 15 percent threshold is required in order for a presidential contender to be allocated National Convention delegates at the statewide level.
• 67 delegates are to be allocated to presidential contenders based on the presidential preference of the delegates at the State Convention as a whole.
• 42 at-large National Convention delegates
• 25 Pledged PLEOs
The remaining 35 National Convention delegates consist of
• 32 Unpledged PLEO delegates:
• 17 Democratic National Committee members.
• 13 Members of Congress (0 Senators and 13 Representatives).
• 0 Governors.
• 2 Distinguished Party Leaders (former House Speaker James C. Wright, Jr., former DNC chairman Robert Schwarz "Bob" Strauss).
• 3 Unpledged "add-on"s (elected at the state convention).
These 35 delegates and will go to the Democratic National Convention officially "Unpledged".

Texas Senatorial Districts: http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/redist/pdf/c1440/map.pdf

[Yael]

6. How will they know by caucus time if a candidate is viable?

[TexasObserver]

10. Answered here.

When people go to their caucuses after the primary, they will not know who won the 126 NATIONAL delegates in play by the popular vote, as those will be allocated per the popular vote.

The precinct caucus attenders are showing up and vying for seats to the county conventions, which come March 29th. Out of the county/senatorial district conventions in March will come the delegates to the state convention, and at the state convention, another 42 NATIONAL delegates to the national convention will be allocated between Hillary and Obama, both of which will more than surpass the 15% viability rule.

[thevoiceofreason]

12. Viability for the caucus is determined solely by caucus turnout

Ostensibly, you could have 50% of the popular vote in your precinct, but if no one turned out to caucus for you, you are not viable in your precinct for caucus purposes. Hillary runs a real risk of "non-viability" in many inner city precincts in Houston.

[TexasObserver]

13. Thanks. I didn't address viability at the precinct level.

You do good work, VOR.

[thevoiceofreason]

14. And TO (OK, I'm laughing at that one)

You have the bigger picture stuff down cold -- much better than me.

[TexasObserver]

15. It takes a Village of Texas Democrats ... to explain this stuff!!

[okasha]

3. They stamp your voter registration card,

have you countersign a sheet with your information entered on it, and mark off your name on the registered voters print-out and stamp either Democrat or Republican by your name. There are actually three different verifications.

[merci_me]

7. They have the list of early voters

When the precinct judges pick up there supplies March 1 or 2, they will have a list of all the voters in their precinct. It will include ALL registered voters in the precinct, so they are prepared for any crossover voters who may decided to declare in the Democratic party. They will also receive a computer printout of all people from that precinct who voted early/absentee. Before the polls open on the 4th, the precinct judge will go through the two lists and mark a "V" for "voted" next to the names on the master list. This isn't just so you can attend the caucus, it also prevents early voters from trying to vote again during the day on the 4th. This happens EVERY election, primary caucus or not.


Having your stamped card with you and or the receipt helps, but your name still needs to appear on that computer printout.


New voters often don't know to get their card stamped and if you live in a Republican county, where all of the people working early voting can be Republican, they don't always graciously offer to stamp the card if you don't tell them. Also, the receipt is just a sequence number that most people drop in the wastebasket on their way out and it also doesn't prove it was your sequence number. I could have picked up a dozen on my way out and in the parking lot.


If by chance, your card wasn't stamped and for some reason your name didn't appear on the printout the precinct judge gets, INSIST the judge call and get verification. However, working since 1984, I can tell you, I've never had someone show up for a caucus whose vote didn't show up on the record.

[Bucky]

8. When you vote at a Diebold machine, Homeland Security runs a retinal scan on ya

Not this year, maybe, but by 2020 I think it's a given.

[thevoiceofreason]

9. Four ways

1. They stamp your voter registration card.
2. They provide you with a "receipt" of your vote.
3. You get neither, but the fact of your vote is recorded on the rolls and is there for reference by the precinct judge.
4. In the case of a voter roll that is inaccurate, you affirm that you have voted in the democratic primary for that precinct. In this case, you will sign in for a particular candidate and will be counted among those who caucus for that candidate. Delegates are apportioned based upon the number of people caucusing for each candidate. After delegates (and alternates) are selected, there is a 25 day wait until the next level (state senate) convention. During this time, the credentials committee will review the candidates' supporters who signed in to determine whether they in fact voted in the democratic primary in that precinct. If not, they are stricken. Reapportionment of delegates would then occur, if necessary.

[TexasObserver]

11. ^^^ Great explanation of this wrinkle of the process. Bottom line: it's verified that you voted Dem.

[thevoiceofreason]

16. Kick - For our less well-versed friends

[thevoiceofreason]

17. Self- delete. Dupe