Tonight, February 2, 2010 at 7 PM Minnesotans will gather together in their local schools and government centers to exercise one of our most important rights: the right to organize and express ourselves politically through the precinct caucus system.
What I want to do here at HousleyForSenate.com and over the course of my campaign is educate everyone on the issues, the system & the whole political process. The caucuses are the first step. It’s quite interesting and not that scary once you get the language down.
Okay, I’ll admit it; I’ve never attended a caucus, mainly because I had no idea what it was, what they did there, or if the public was even invited. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been passionate about my political beliefs, but I thought the only place to voice them was on Election Day.
Wrong. The time to speak up is now, at the caucuses.
Not only is the public invited, they’re encouraged!
What is a Caucus?
A caucus is a meeting of members of a political party to coordinate members’ actions, choose group policy, and/or nominate candidates for various offices. It’s that simple. To clarify, you don’t need to be a card-carrying “member” to attend a caucus, anyone can attend any caucus throughout the state.
Each caucus is broken down into precincts (neighborhoods) depending on an exact street address. Where you live determines which precinct you are in. (Click here to find out which precinct you’re in.)
If you like the caucus, and want to become more involved, you can register at the meeting to become a delegate. Anyone who lives in particular precinct can register to become a delegate of that precinct.
What is a Delegate?
Delegates are elected at the caucuses (after you’ve signed in and registered), with the understanding that they will support their particular party’s candidate. When it comes time for a political party to endorse a candidate, it is the delegates that do so. At some caucuses, there will be two or more candidates vying for the one party’s endorsement, and it is the delegates who get to decide who will be “their” candidate. Local delegates can move on and eventually be the endorsing delegates for higher offices such a governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
In my district, District 57, they have decided to have 217 delegates, representing the 37 precincts throughout Cottage Grove, Newport, St. Paul Park, South St. Paul, Hastings, Grey Cloud Island, Nininger Twp., Afton, Denmark Twp., Lakeland, and St. Marys Point.
What Happens at Caucuses?
- Pass Resolutions to the Republican Party of Minnesota’s Standing Platform
- Elect the Chair of the Caucus and the Caucus Secretary
- Elect Precinct Leaders
- Elect Delegates and Alternates to the Local Republican Conventions
- Conduct the Gubernatorial Preference Ballot
Why are caucuses important?
Caucuses are important for all of us to voice our opinions and shape the future of our state and party. When you attend a caucus, you’re able to be part of things at the grassroots level. Also, it’s where the platform of what the party stands for is solidified. For an interesting read, print this year’s Republican platform off, as it will be discussed at the caucuses.
There is a lot more information at the GOP Website: (FYI: GOP is the commonly used designation for the Republican party, dating back to 1875 when it stood for Gallant Old Party, then in 1876 became the Grand Old Party.)
BOTTOM LINE: Caucuses are the best way for you to have your voice heard.
Where is your caucus held?
Click here for the caucuses held throughout the state & your Precinct Finder.
I’ll be stopping by the caucus in my district, District 57 to say hello, meet you & try to answer a few questions. District 57’s caucuses are held at these three locations:
Cottage Grove Middle School
9775 Indian Blvd S
Cottage Grove MN 55016-3651
Hastings High School
200 General Sieben Dr
Hastings MN 55033-2486
Kaposia Education Center
1225 1st Ave S
South Saint Paul MN 55075-3253
What happens after that?
After Tuesday’s caucus, there is an Endorsing Convention, sometime later in the month. This is when all ballots have been tallied and the delegates have made their choice – they then announce who gets their endorsement. These happen on different evenings throughout the month, but for District 57, the endorsing convention is on February 27th at 9:00 a.m. at the Kaposia Education Center in South St. Paul. (Just happens to be my old stomping grounds.)
See? It’s not as intimidating as it all sounds: caucuses, precincts & delegates…they start to roll off your tongue after awhile.
I really hope you’ll consider attending your local caucus and if you’re in District 57, I expect to see you there!
P.S. Here’s a map of District 57, just because I like maps.
