In the 2008 Presidential primaries, your state has one of two options: elections and caucuses. Primary elections are like your typical elections. You head down to your voting location, pick up a ballot, cast your vote and go home. Simple.
But not quite. Not all primary elections are created equal. Some states, like South Carolina, have separate Democratic and Republican elections. Democrats vote one day. Republicans another. Independents choose whom their voting for and go to that election.
Other states, like New Hampshire, have everyone vote on the same day. However, Independent voters have to declare themselves Republican or Democrat in order to get a ballot. Put simply, the Republican candidates are listed on a Republican ballot, and the Democrats on the Democratic. If you’ve participated in the Massachusetts primary, you’re quite familiar with the New Hampshire vote. They’re nearly indistinguishable.
Caucusing is an entirely different process. To the outside observer as well as the participant, caucusing can be strange and confusing. Basically, it works like this. Everyone meets at a caucusing center. There, they split into their prospective parties. Once the Democrats and Republicans get together and everyone is accounted for, the local party leader has everyone go to a certain part of the room. Those for Obama in that corner, Hillary that one, and so on.
Once everyone’s where they should be, caucus leaders do some math. If a candidate has less than 15 percent of the vote, their backers are asked to choose another candidate. If they don’t have a second choice, they can move to the undecided section or go home.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Caucus goers are allowed to talk to other attendees and attempt to swing others their way. Furthermore, since everyone can see whom you’re voting for, there are no secrets. No mystery. You’re standing for your candidate, and that’s that.
It’s the math that matters. The candidate with the greatest number of backers will get the most delegates. If a candidate got 75 percent of the vote, that candidate gets 75 percent of the state’s delegates at the National Convention.
Every state has its own caucus rules. In Iowa, for example, you can caucus as long as you’re living in Iowa and going to be of voting age come election time. So, say you’re from Ohio, but going to Iowa State. You can caucus in Iowa. Or maybe you’re a 17-year-old high school senior. In Massachusetts, you wouldn’t be able to vote in the primary. But in Iowa, as long as you’re going to be 18 before the big election in November, you can.
Caucusing does have one major drawback, and that’s that the voter has to stay until the end of their caucus. So, if you’re caucusing, you’d better get the night off and prepare to hang out awhile.
Caucusing may be confusing, but it harkens back to earliest Democracy. One sees the process in action and knows exactly where his or her vote is going. There’re no hanging chads, missing ballots, or other voting controversies. However, some like the secrecy of the primary election. In the end, it’s not about what you like or don’t. It’s where you live that matters.
As southcoast247.com's self-anointed political guru, it's my job to monitor the tepid pulse of the 2008 Presidential Race.
