Democratic Party caucus today
SANDPOINT —Today's Democratic caucus promises to be a group-centered, discussion-oriented event that invites community debate and consensus.
Earlier this month, the Republican presidential primaries brought voters out to county polling locations to cast their private votes for their candidates of choice.
The Democratic caucus takes place at Bonner County Fairgrounds, 4203 N. Boyer Road., in Sandpoint. The doors will open at 5 p.m. and will close to entrants at 6 p.m. Those who will be eligible to vote on Nov. 8 in the presidential election, even if they are not of legal age today, can participate in the caucus, according to information on the Bonner County Democrats website.
Also, while pre-registration for the caucus is the best way to ensure a place at the table, people who have not registered may be able to sign up at the event if they arrive early, according to BCD.
As of Monday, approximately 300 Democrats had pre-registered to attend the caucus, said Ken Meyers, chairperson of the Bonner County Democratic Party. However, he expects 600 to 700 attendees overall.
Upon entering the building, caucus participants must complete a form that confirms their eligibility to vote in November. They also have the option to sign up as a potential state delegate, according to the IdahoDems.org.
Each person will join a sub-caucus supporting either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Once the preliminary ceremonies are finished, speakers will present their cases for each candidate.
Meyers, John Cooper and Steven Garvey are among the speakers scheduled to support candidates at the event. They each have 3 minutes to win over voters.
“We try to get a local speaker and someone associated with the campaign,” said Meyers.
Attendees then cast their preliminary votes. After a count, more speeches and another round of voting ensue. Participants have the chance to change their votes if the speakers have convinced them to do so.
If the second vote tallies with the first, Meyers said, no third round of voting is necessary.
Based on the vote, organizers determine the number of delegates to award to each candidate.
“We will be able to send 13 people to (the state convention) in Boise. You have to generate 15 percent of the total of people at the caucus to establish a delegate,” Meyers said.
The final task of caucus participants is electing these delegates. Nominees have 60 seconds each to tell the group why it should choose them.
A historic process to select candidates, the caucus method eliminates secrecy and invites dialog. However, it isn't perfect, Meyers said.
“There's some problems with doing this way. It becomes more difficult for people who are working at the time the caucus is being held. (Those) who cannot drive at night to make it to the caucus may feel disenfranchised,” he said.
“It's actually a lot of fun,” he added. “It's probably democracy at its best.”
Information:
n http://idahodems.org/caucus/
n http://bonnerdemocrats.org/new/