Katelyn Brinkerhoff | Contributing Writer
Caucuses are only two months away. Will you be ready to cast your vote?
AAUW, an organization on the Buena Vista University (BVU) campus, hosted an ACES event November 16th that informed student voters on what to expect when caucusing. Community members were also invited out to ask their questions and learn more about the event. Both parties sent a representative to explain where to meet, how to sign in, and how to vote.
However, why should we be so concerned about the caucuses in the first place? As one of the members from the board for the Democratic Party stated “the Iowa caucuses are the first chance for people to choose their next President with votes that actually count. The choice is not exactly for who would be the best President, though that is the most important thing about choosing who to caucus for.” By going to the caucuses and voting we, as a nation, can get a glimpse at who may be the next President in 2016. Each state participates in caucuses at different times throughout the year.
When heading out to the caucus remember that you must be registered to either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. If you are not currently a part of the party in which you see your future president in then you are able to change your party affiliation before or even at the caucus. Independent voters are also not allowed to caucus for either one of these parties, unless they change their voter preference. Students that are not from this area and still would like to participate in the caucuses that are being held in Storm Lake need to do a change of address by reregistering (forms are available online). Because there are no absentee ballots allowed during the caucus it is highly encouraged that a change in address occurs. Students that may not be 18 yet are still able to vote during the caucuses as long as they are of age by November 8th, 2016.
The Republican Party was represented by Randy Erikson. He spoke about the schedule of the caucusing night. Doors open at 6:30 P.M. to begin signing in the voters. Randy says to be there early because the caucus will begin right at 7 P.M. and sometimes the line can be so long it wraps around the building. A discussion of candidates will begin once all voters are signed in. This is done to inform the voters about each candidate before they make their decision in the voting booth. All votes are counted in front of attendees. The reason for doing this is from an incident that occurred back in 2012 where there was a mistake in the count. Once this voting process is complete (which only takes roughly 15 minutes says Randy) then they move forward to voting for delegates and turn in platforms. There are around 16 different categories of platforms to discuss at the caucuses as Randy mentioned. “Come one come all!” Randy excitedly tells the audience.
The Democratic Party goes about their caucus more differently than the Republicans. Matt Pearson, the representative from the board of the Democratic Party here in Storm Lake, stated that “we do a whole lot more” when referring to the differences. Their reason for change came about during the 1968 conventions where riots were the star of the show.
To better the Party and its purpose they started at their “grassroots” and built themselves from the “bottom-up”. The major difference is that the Democratic Party votes with their bodies. They section the room up by candidates, “so we would have Bernie Sanders in this corner and Hillary Clinton in this corner,” as Matt explained. Individuals will vote by standing in the section deemed for that candidate. For groups to be considered “viable” they must have at least 15% attendance. The Guide to the Iowa Democratic Caucus Process that was handed out after the ACES explains the “supporters of candidates with too little support must choose from among the “viable” candidates. After this realignment, each preference group gets to elect a delegate(s) to the county convention, depending on how many supporters the candidate has, and depending on how many voters the precinct has”. They do not narrow down one presidential nominee as the “winner” for the caucus. For this Party it is about narrowing down the amount of candidates running for office. “Different states choose delegates differently. The presidential nominee is the candidate who gets the most delegates nationwide,” as also explained in the guide.
To find out where to go to caucus it can be rather confusing. To better understand where to find what precinct your address you can visit http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterinformation/index.html, which is the website of the Iowa Secretary of the States, kindly provided by the guide. BVU students will have to use the address of their dorms halls and their room number. If there is any trouble finding the address for your hall the staff within Student Affairs would be willing to help.
Randy Erikson mentioned that they will be holding another “Caucuses 101” night for the community. Students are highly encouraged to attend the event to further their education on caucuses. “We do work together,” said Randy, “that’s what our nation needs to start doing”. Even if you aren’t wanting to cast a vote you are welcomed to watch the caucusing event. Just remember to get there early and be registered. Every vote counts. Make it worth it!
Graphic by Nic Gibson
