The_Elucidator
01-01-2008, 11:28 PM
Iowa caucuses discourage participation by many voters
--snip--
Because the caucuses, held in the early evening, do not allow absentee voting, they tend to leave out nearly entire categories of voters: the infirm, soldiers on active duty, restaurant employees on the dinner shift, medical personnel who cannot leave their patients, parents who do not have babysitting and many others who work in retail, at gasoline stations and in other jobs that require evening duty.
As in years past, voters must present themselves in person, at a specific hour, and stay for as long as two. And if this caucus is anything like prior ones, only a tiny percentage of Iowans will participate. In 2000, the last year in which both parties held caucuses, 59,000 Democrats and 87,000 Republicans voted, in a state with 2.9 million people. In 2004, 124,000 people turned out for the Democratic caucuses.
Caucuses are quirky electoral creations that depart from the usual civics-class ideas about fair elections. They are not run by the government, but by the state Democratic and Republican parties. The 1,781 caucuses that take place around the state are small community meetings, in which citizens gather, not only to choose candidates but also to conduct local party business.
Rather than secret ballots, there are public exchanges of opinions.
While the Republican caucuses are fairly simple - voters can leave them shortly after declaring their preferences - Democratic caucuses can require multiple hours and candidate preferences from voters. They do not adhere to any one-person one-vote rule, because votes are weighted according to a precinct's past level of participation. Ties can be settled by coin toss or by picking names out of a hat.
More Here (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/01/america/vote.php)
This is a very good read for those somewhat unfamiliar with how a caucus works vs a more standard voting primary.
<!-- sidebar --><!-- /kicker & headline --><!-- subhead --><!-- /subhead --><!-- byline -->
--snip--
Because the caucuses, held in the early evening, do not allow absentee voting, they tend to leave out nearly entire categories of voters: the infirm, soldiers on active duty, restaurant employees on the dinner shift, medical personnel who cannot leave their patients, parents who do not have babysitting and many others who work in retail, at gasoline stations and in other jobs that require evening duty.
As in years past, voters must present themselves in person, at a specific hour, and stay for as long as two. And if this caucus is anything like prior ones, only a tiny percentage of Iowans will participate. In 2000, the last year in which both parties held caucuses, 59,000 Democrats and 87,000 Republicans voted, in a state with 2.9 million people. In 2004, 124,000 people turned out for the Democratic caucuses.
Caucuses are quirky electoral creations that depart from the usual civics-class ideas about fair elections. They are not run by the government, but by the state Democratic and Republican parties. The 1,781 caucuses that take place around the state are small community meetings, in which citizens gather, not only to choose candidates but also to conduct local party business.
Rather than secret ballots, there are public exchanges of opinions.
While the Republican caucuses are fairly simple - voters can leave them shortly after declaring their preferences - Democratic caucuses can require multiple hours and candidate preferences from voters. They do not adhere to any one-person one-vote rule, because votes are weighted according to a precinct's past level of participation. Ties can be settled by coin toss or by picking names out of a hat.
More Here (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/01/america/vote.php)
This is a very good read for those somewhat unfamiliar with how a caucus works vs a more standard voting primary.
<!-- sidebar --><!-- /kicker & headline --><!-- subhead --><!-- /subhead --><!-- byline -->