How a caucus works (roughly)

My wife thought I should explain how a caucus works since a lot of people don't know. Since the Iowa presidential caucus is tonight and Minnesota also votes by caucus (not primary), I thought it was a good suggestion.

Caucuses are run by parties and are used to choose each party's candidate. Each precinct in the state gets a certain number of votes (sort of like the electoral votes awarded to each state). Each precinct must then decide who to give those votes to. The voters in that precinct meet at a set time (usually 7:00) at a set location (often a school) to caucus. They then separate into groups depending on who they're voting for. Those for Obama in one group, those for Hillary in another group, the one guy for Dennis Kucinich in another corner, etc. Each candidate must have at least 15% of the group present in order to get a vote. Once everyone has sided with a candidate and each candidate has at least 15% of the total number of people present supporting him or her, the caucus is complete and the votes are apportioned based on the number of people supporting each candidate.

Here's an example:

• Precinct 123 gets 5 votes.
• 100 people in precinct 123 show up to vote.
• Voters split up into groups supporting each candidate. There is also a group for undecided voters who can be persuaded to join a group supporting any candidate.
• Any group not having 15% (in this case, 15 people) of the total number of people there must dissolve itself. Those members must find another candidate to support. So, if Romney has 15 people, Huckabee has 30 people, McCain has 15, Giuliani has 5, Ron Paul has 10, and the undecided group has 25, the folks supporting Giuliani and Ron Paul would have to go to the undecided group or pick another candidate to support.
  
• Throughout the night, those supporting major candidates (candidates with at least 15% support) are busy trying to persuade those who are undecided and those whose candidates were unable to garner 15% of the vote to join their cause.
• At the end of the night, the 5 precinct votes are divided between the candidates. If Huckabee has 60% of the vote, Romney 20%, and McCain 20%, then Huckabee would get 3 votes and Romney and McCain would each get 1 from that precinct. Each precinct then sends representatives to the state convention to cast their precinct votes for their respective candidates at their party's state convention.

If all of that is really, really confusing, then you're probably just better off going and figuring it out as you go. It's a lot more fun that way! :)

The biggest disadvantage to this system versus the primary system found in states like Wisconsin is that you have to caucus with just one party. It feels a little bit more like you're a member of that party, like you're committed to that party, which results in lower turnout among independents.

Regardless, it's the system that is in place in a number of states and for those of us living in Minnesota, it's the system we'll be following on February 5th.

As for tonight, go Huckabee!! (And I really, really, really don't want Romney to win...)

P.S. I should have noted that this is an EXAMPLE of a caucus. Each party runs their caucus differently in each state. Not to confuse you even more...