Caucus Step-by-Step Guide

 

The first person to arrive for a precinct should get their caucus packet from the Site Coordinator, which includes all the forms. The voter list is provided and includes the names of all individuals registered as Democrats in the precinct as of the registration cut-off date. Names appear in alphabetical order, and each attendee should sign their name in the space to next to their printed name.

 

            What to do if attendee is not on the list

A. Make sure they are in the right precinct by verifying their address is in the precinct. Precinct maps will be in each precinct packet and a map of the district will be with the Site Coordinator.

B.  If the information they give suggests they live in that precinct but their name is not on the check-in list, have the person fill out an affidavit (included in packet) and also add their name to the check-in list at the end in the blank spots provided. The person will be allowed to fully participate BUT NEED TO BE MADE AWARE that if elected as a delegate, they will be unseated if it is later determined they were not properly registered to be in that precinct’s caucus.

C. People who are not able to attend their caucus must submit, in writing, PRIOR TO the Caucus that they wish to be considered as a delegate and which candidates they are supporting. These people are not signed in as present at the actual caucus. Their letter should be in the precinct packet, or brought by someone to present at the caucus. If there is nothing in writing then their preference cannot be recorded. If their preference is in writing, they SHOULD NOT BE included in any straw poll or preference poll and are considered as a delegate or alternate ONLY.

 

It is required that the rules be read aloud. In most locations it will be most expedient if the Site Coordinator reads the rules once for all of the precincts. If circumstances do not allow for this, then it will be the job of the Caucus Chair to do this once he or she is elected. There will be a page in the caucus packets that must be read aloud. More detailed rules will be provided in writing also, but do not need to be read aloud. 

 

The current Precinct Committee Person (PCP), if one is present, should start the meeting at 7:00 pm and immediately determine if anyone wishes to chair the meeting. If more than one person wishes to be Chair, the members of the caucus will vote for the Chair. A person is then elected to be Secretary by the same process. It is greatly desired by the Party that the person with the best penmanship be elected as the Secretary. These roles do not continue beyond the end of the Caucus.  A secret ballot will be held if any member of the caucus requests one. The names of the Chair and Secretary, as well as all positions that are filled, will be recorded on the “Caucus Report Form” which will be in the caucus packet.  The caucus Chair and Secretary must stay until all business of the caucus is finished and complete the recording paperwork. 

 

Your Caucus Packet will include an envelope to be used to gather donations from your precinct. Pass it around and read the attached Buck Bag “ask”.

 

 

Straw Polls are UNOFFICIAL UNRECORDED informational polls on contested races, such as Governor or a State House or Senate race. Straw polls are done by a show of hands only and cannot be recorded anywhere because it is an unofficial vote.

 

A. Take a straw poll first. Read off each Senate candidate’s name and have people raise their hand if they support that candidate. This vote is not recorded, and it is an open vote to allow all those present to gauge the level of support for their candidate. Remember that Uncommitted is treated as a candidate.

B.   Take a recorded vote. Repeat the procedure but this time write down the number of people who vote for each candidate on the Senate Poll Results Sheet (bright blue). Attendees are free to change their vote between the straw poll to the recorded vote, however no one may vote for more than one candidate in a single round of voting. Bring these results IMMEDIATELY TO THE SITE COORDINATOR!

C. Caucus Math Sheet. Write the same vote on the Caucus Math Sheet and follow the directions on that form. This form will give you the number of delegates (and alternates) to elect for each candidate who makes threshold.

 

Elect your Assembly delegates and Alternates based on the US Senate Poll. The total number of delegates and alternates that a precinct may elect for these will be printed on the front of the caucus packet and on the math worksheet. For every delegate elected, an alternate may also be elected.  The County Assembly will be held on April 10^th at the Ritchie Center at the University of Denver. County Assembly delegates MUST BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE ASSEMBLY. No proxies are allowed. Please remind Delegates and Alternates that this meeting frequently lasts all day that that they will be voting multiple times during the day to nominate candidates to the General Assembly as well as selecting delegates to the State Assembly for the U.S. Senate race and to the Congressional District Assembly for the U.S. Congress.

 

i.         Using the Caucus Math worksheet instructions, apportion the number of delegates and alternates allotted to each candidate based on the US Senate Preference Poll. For every delegate slot there will be an alternate slot.

ii.        Divide the precinct into groups of supporters for each Senate candidate, including “uncommitted” (which is treated as a candidate) if “uncommitted” met the threshold (again refer to the Caucus Math Worksheet if this is unclear). Each group will elect from among its members the appropriate number of delegates and alternates. Caucus attendees whose candidate did not achieve threshold may join any other group.

            Delegate Selection Procedure:

a.        If more people wish to be a delegate to the County Assembly than the number of delegates and alternates apportioned for a given candidate, a system of choosing by lot or an election may be used to determine who will be delegates and who will be alternates.   It is up to the body to decide if they want to elect their delegates or choose them by lot.

b.      Caucus attendees who were not selected by the previous procedure are free to ask to be considered as a delegate or alternate for another Senate candidate by that candidate’s group of supporters. It will be up to that group whether to elect them as a delegate, alternate, or not at all.

iii.      VERY IMPORTANT: On the Caucus Report Form, the secretary must record the following information for everyone elected as a delegate or alternate: name, email or phone, and which U.S. Senate candidate they are a delegate for (or Uncommitted) – if you have time to look up their VAN ID from the sign in sheet it will greatly assist in post caucus data entry!

 

 

The Chair will solicit the names of anyone who wishes to be elected as Precinct Committee People.   The Duties of a Committee Person are:

1.  attending all meetings of the Central Committee, unless properly excused, by subdistrict officers,

2.  supporting the nominees of the Party,

3.  recruiting Party workers in the precincts and directing their Party activities within the precinct,

4.   distribution, and/or supervising the distribution of Party literature within the precinct,

5.  conducting and/or causing to be conducted all drives and canvasses required by the Central and Executive Committees, within the precinct,

6.  notifying all Democrats living in their precinct of the time, place and date of the precinct caucus, and

7.  attending all meetings of the subdistrict.

 

Those in attendance will vote for two people. If more than two people express interest, the top two vote-getters will be elected. A person does not have to be present to be elected, but the Party desires to have people elected who will make the time commitment the position requires. Any tie votes will be determined by lot.

 

The Secretary will record the names, phone numbers, and emails of those who are elected on the Caucus Report Form.

 

Election Judge forms are included in the packets, please have everyone who wishes to be an election judge complete a form and return it to the packets.

 

Election Judges are the people who work at the polling places on Election Day. They are paid a stipend for this work and will receive training. They must be able to commit to the entire day on Election Day from early in the morning until well into the evening as well as a few hours for training.

 

Resolutions are ideas that, if successful throughout the process, will eventually be incorporated into the Party Platform. Each resolution must receive a majority (50%+1 vote) of the votes being cast to be considered at the County level.

 

The Chair should officially adjourn the Caucus and the Secretary will record the time of adjournment. The materials that MUST be in the Caucus packet before it is turned into the Site Coordinator are:

 

1. The Sign-In sheets.

2. The Caucus Report Form. (Please double check it is filled out completely)

3. The Caucus Math page

4. Resolutions/Platform

5. Election Judge forms (white)

5. Buck Bag (With the money inside please!)

                        All forms except the buck bags and election judge form are on yellow paper.