— from Clare Kelm, President, League of Women Voters of the San Juans —
This is a presidential election year so the election process is different than during other years. Prior to the November 8, 2016, general election, Washington voters can participate in the party caucuses, the Presidential Preference Primary election, and the general primary election. The Presidential Preference Primary is often referred to as “the presidential primary”.
This combined system is complex and causes a lot of confusion. The League of Women Voters would like to clarify the caucuses and the presidential primary for the public.
At each of the two major parties’ national conventions, the candidate winning the most delegates from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories will be that party’s nominee for president. The national Parties establish the rules which the states must conform with as each State Party selects their delegates. The two parties do it differently.
This presidential election year the Washington State Republican Party will apportion delegates based on the results of Washington’s presidential primary on May 24, 2016. The State Democratic Party will apportion delegates based on the outcome of the precinct caucuses held on March 26, 2016.
The Washington State Republicans will send 88 delegates to their national convention in Cleveland and the Washington State Democrats will send 119 delegates to their national convention in Philadelphia. (These numbers do not include alternates.)
In conformance with the National Republican Party rules, the Republican voters will select potential delegates at the Republican caucuses held on February 20, 2016. These delegates will not be apportioned to the Presidential candidates until the Republican national convention. The apportionment will be based upon the results of the Washington presidential primary held on May 24, 2016. This allows those who cannot attend the caucuses to express how they want the delegates to vote by participating in the presidential primary on May 24.
In conformance with the National Democratic Party rules, the Democratic voters will select and apportion delegates who are pledged to specific Presidential candidates during the Democratic caucuses held on March 26, 2016.
What happens at a caucus?
At caucuses people gather to openly discuss the topics on the caucus agenda and make delegate selections according to the party rules. During the discussions, people can try to convince others to vote a particular way. The discussions can be substantial and the votes can be taken multiple times.
Who can attend?
Both the Republican and Democratic precinct caucuses are open to any person registered to vote in Washington. Those participating will sign a promise that they won’t participate in another party’s presidential selection process.
It’s important to point out that a person in Washington does not register to vote as a Democrat or a Republican. They simply register to vote. People who are willing to publicly declare themselves a Republican may participate in the Republican caucuses and those who are willing to publicly declare themselves a Democrat may participate in the Democratic caucuses. They may also vote in the presidential primary on May 24, 2016, but they again must declare their party preference. Declaring a party is not required in the general primary elections held on August 2, 2016. Presidential Primary
Those who are willing to publicly declare themselves either a Democrat or Republican (one or the other) may vote in the May 24 Presidential primary. The information about which party’s ballot a voter chooses is public information and will be available from the Secretary of State up to 22 months following the Presidential primary.
To see a visual depiction of both the Republican and Democratic caucus process and to find your precinct and the caucus locations go to www.lwv-kitsap.org/2016-Elections.html. For more information you can also go to the Washington State Republican Party website at www.wsrp.org/, the Washington State Democratic Party website at www.wa-democrats.org/, and the Washington Secretary of State’s website www.sos.wa.gov/elections/2016-Presidential-Primary.aspx.
Democracy, as some say, is not a spectator sport. Our democracy is always stronger when more people participate. Use your voice and vote! The League of Women Voters will be active this spring and fall providing voter registration opportunities and candidate forums across the state.
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Most of the above information is correct, but I want to point out a couple of items that aren’t quite accurate. On the Democratic Party side, you can attend the caucus on March 26 at 10:00 AM at the public school cafeteria if you are a registered Washington voter. You can also attend if you are 17 years old but will be 18 by Nov. 8, election day. Finally, I had a question about whether unregistered voters could fill out a voter registration form at the caucus and then participate in the caucus. I just heard back today from one of the state Democratic Party officials that yes, even if you are not registered, you can fill out a form at the caucus and then participate. This approach certainly fosters more participation by the public in the electoral process. I just picked up a bunch of voter registration forms in Friday Harbor today, so we should be good to go. Now, don’t let that stop you from registering to vote online before the caucus, as that will certainly save time.
The other item relates to signing a form that you won’t participate in another party’s caucus. The Republicans require this, but I am not aware that the Dems do. In any event, it would be a moot point, because the Democratic caucus occurs more than a month after the Republican caucus.
David Turnoy
Thank you LWV for the article, and thank you David Turnoy for clarifying that you can register to vote right up to the day of the caucus or even at the caucus – that has been a burning question and concern in my mind. This is great news.
If all of the populist-chosen delegates are decided as a result of the Democratic Party caucus, why have a primary in May? To what purpose, if the delegates are already chosen? Does this impact the selection of candidates that Wa. State’s Super Delegates will make?
Would someone please write an article on Super Delegates and their part in elections?
Questions related to Super Delegates: (Hoping for an article!)
a) What are Super Delegates? Who is eligible to be picked as one?
b) Who decides on them and picks them or votes them in?
c) What interests determines not only who they are, but how they represent the candidate? (ie can super delegates be “bought” by big-moneyed interests?)
d) What percentage of WA State’s delegates are Super Delegates, and what percentage are populist-decided at the Democratic caucus?
e) do the Republicans also have Super Delegates? How are the Republican party’s Super Delegates chosen, and by whom?
f) Is it true that whichever candidate is granted the Super Delegates usually wins the top spot in the primaries?
g) Can the Super Delegates be split between 2 or more candidates, or does one candidate get all of the Super Delegates? How is the winning candidate of the Super Delegates chosen?
g) Does that mean the election is already pre-determined by the amount of Super Delegates? (if so, why call it a free election)
Thank you.