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So last entry was about the “what” of a caucus and this one is more about the “why”. 

Matt and I went to an organized event last night for a couple of hours to watch the results with a bunch of other people.  The census around our table was that no one was completely clear on how the process of electing each party’s candidate works.  We had such a mixture of ages, sexes and races that were obviously interested enough in the process to perhaps know a bit of something. Both Matt and I were also admittedly in the dark about how it all works which resulted in the following questions for me: “Is the US political process so difficult as to keep people from participating?” and “Am I gonna let the ‘Man’ keep me down?”  I’m sure you’re formulating your own questions at this point… 

Some facts I learned last night which may answer some of your questions (they certainly did for me) and you’ll see why it’s all so confusing: 

• The Republican party has opted for the “winner take all” scenario.  This means that whoever wins the popular vote in the state wins all of the delegates.  Makes sense, right? 
• BUT the Democrat party has decided to divide the number of delegates per state. 
• Add this to the fact that each state can decide by caucus or primary or both (like in WA) and they can decide when to have these things happen 

So why is this particular caucus important?  If any of you followed the races last night, you’ll know that it’s a tight race all around.  In the Republican camp, there are 3 top candidates vying for delegates.  The Democrats have 2 who are very much neck-and-neck.  Even though almost half of our states (24) elected their candidates in the Super Tuesday event yesterday, the races are still very much in the air.  This means Washington’s caucus this Saturday is still extremely relevant.  

Our caucus is uniquely suited for being extra exciting.  This is a historic race: the first time we have a woman, a mixed-race African American, and a Mormon all as very viable candidates for the presidency.  People are coming out in big numbers to take part in this election process.  It’s also a very close and, at times, heated race.  All of these things combined make for an opportunity for a very interesting caucus.  Unlike voting, which tends to be private, caucuses are more of a community event.  With a caucus, “you have to be present to win” or at least take part.  People make speeches and woo folks in real time which sometimes results in a sort of musical chairs where people move from one part of the room to another (each candidate will have an area of the room for people to gather to be counted).  Plus, you may also get a chance to be voted to represent Washington as a national delegate and go to Denver (this caucus is the first tier of a three tiered process).  Pretty exciting, no?  

Additional information specific to Washington State: 

• You will be able to register to vote or update your personal information at the caucus location 
• You will need to register as a Democrat or Republican in order to vote in the caucus.  However, if you do not want to register for a particular party, you can make speeches, but not be counted for the vote 

So I hope some of you will take the opportunity to participate in this year’s caucus on Saturday.  It’s gonna be an exciting day!