Get Out and Caucus! Tuesday, Feb 6 - 7:00pm
Caucus Day: Tuesday, Feb 6 at 7:00 p.m.
There’s a lot at stake for Minnesota this election year and it starts with precinct caucuses. Make sure they #HearYourVoice regarding who gets elected to represent you! Please arrange to go with your neighbors tomorrow night and share this post to help folks plan for caucusing.
What's on the line?
- The gubernatorial election
- 2 US Senate seats
- 5 closely watched (8 total) US House seats, plus
- The entire 134 MN House of Representatives – all up for (re-)election this year!
Where can you find the location of your caucus?
DFL & GOP: Caucus Finder
Independent Party: In-Person Caucus Locations and On-line Caucusing
For those of us who are unfamiliar with what happens at a caucus the Secretary of State has it all organized for us. This is what they have to say;
WHAT IS A PRECINCT CAUCUS?
Precinct caucuses are meetings run by Minnesota’s political parties. They are the first in a series of meetings where parties may endorse candidates, select delegates, and set goals and values (called party platforms).
In 2018, one part of precinct caucuses will be a preference ballot for the candidates you want your political party to support for Governor.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN A CAUCUS?
To participate, you must be eligible to vote in the November 2018 general election and live in the precinct. You also must generally agree with the principles of the political party hosting the caucus.
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CAUCUS?
Each political party runs their caucus meetings a little differently. Check with your political party if you have specific questions. Generally, there are four main activities at a caucus:
- Choose volunteers who will organize political activities in the precinct. This could include maintaining contact lists, holding political meetings, and helping with campaign efforts.
- Vote for the person you want the party to support for Governor. This is called the preference ballot. The results help gauge support for candidates.
- Discuss issues and ideas for the party to support. You can present an issue or idea for the party to support, called a resolution. If you convince other attendees to support your resolution, it will be taken to the next political convention. Eventually, your resolution could become part of the official party platform.
- Choose delegates who will endorse candidates at future conventions. At future conventions, party delegates will endorse state and federal candidates, including for Governor. Political parties have different ways of choosing delegates at the precinct level caucus—contact your party for more information.
Still wondering how to caucus? Brian Bakst of NPR News has written a great article: It's That Time Again: How to Caucus in Minnesota on Tuesday
Additional resources and a comprehensive summary of caucusing:
Other; The Green Party has decided to forgo caucusing this year and instead will be hosting a state wide endorsing convention for their Gubernatorial and Senate candidates in March.