2016 Caucus Training€¦ · Must be registered to vote for 29 days before the Caucus (February 1,...
Transcript of 2016 Caucus Training€¦ · Must be registered to vote for 29 days before the Caucus (February 1,...
2016
Caucus Training
To Caucus OR Not to Caucus
In the state of Colorado, there is no presidential primary ballot.
That means nobody in Colorado will be voting for their
presidential pick on a mail-in primary ballot.
There is a 2016 Primary Election ballot in Colorado – it is on
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
All other contested offices will be on this Primary ballot
– except for the office of the President of the United States
The only voice you get in presidential politics in Colorado is
through the Caucuses which are controlled by the major parties
The Caucus Straw Poll
Caucus night is an ideal time to conduct a presidential preference
poll or straw poll
This is where the party members, who attend each Caucus, vote
for their favorite presidential candidates like you would on a
primary ballot.
The results are reported by each Caucus to the respective county
party organizations
The county party then consolidates the results from all their
Caucuses and report county results to the Colorado state party
organization.
The Colorado state party consolidates all the county results and then
reports the final results to the media – this is what happened in Iowa
To Straw Poll OR Not to Straw Poll
Democrats WILL BE conducting a presidential straw poll on Caucus
night in Colorado, which will bind their national delegates
Republicans WILL NOT BE conducting a presidential straw poll on
Caucus night in Colorado (as we did in 2008 and 2012)
Why?
Because the National Republican party organization has changed the
rules to make straw polls binding only. That means delegates
elected on Caucus night would be bound to the results of a Caucus
night Republican straw poll. They could be bound as winner takes
all or proportionally to be determined by the Colorado Republican
Party. In light of this new national rule, the Colorado Republican
Party opted to not do a straw poll at all.
The “Republican Hope” of a Caucus
So if you want any say in how the Republican
delegates from Colorado vote at the Republican
National Convention this summer, you must
Caucus so you can vote for State Delegates who
will then vote for National Delegates who will
then go to the Republican National Convention
and (hopefully) vote for your pick.
That’s about as far removed as a voter in any
state can be from presidential politics
The Cost of a Caucus
There are costs involved in Caucusing with the Republican party
so you should count those before committing to the process:
Your Time
At least two hours on a Tuesday evening.
More if you are elected as a Delegate to follow-on Assemblies
Your MoneyIf you want to be a delegate to follow-on Assemblies, you will be
required to pay up to $100 for that “privilege”
Childcare (If Applicable)This is not an easy process for smaller children to endure
Why Caucus?
Caucusing means you’ll be discussing politics
with your neighbors in a school or other location
designated by the Republican party
Because every member in a particular party does
not participate in the Caucus process, the people
who do participate have more influence in what
happens in Colorado so it MAGNIFIES your
political voice
Caucus Votes Affect
Who your party will nominate for President
Who’s on your party’s Primary Election ballot in
June, 2016
What your party’s platform will look like
Who will be running your local and state party
Two Main Purposes of the Caucus:
Primary Business
Assembly Delegates/Alternates
Party Business
Precinct Leaders
Resolutions
Election Judge Volunteers
Caucuses DO NOT Involve
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
Mayor
City Council
School Boards
JUDGES
(Retention Vote – yes/no)
County Judges (4 year term, no limit)
District Judges (6 year term, no limit)
Court of Appeals (8 year term, no limit)
State Supreme Court Justices (10 year term, no limit)
Getting Started
Caucuses occur every 2 years:2016 – Presidential 2020 - Presidential
2018 – Gubernatorial 2022 - Gubernatorial
Must be a precinct resident for 30 days before the Caucus
(February 1, 2016)
Must be registered to vote for 29 days before the Caucus
(February 1, 2016)
Must be affiliated with the party 2 months before the Caucus
(January 4, 2016)
(Please note these deadlines have past. If you missed affiliation, you
can attend your Caucus as a guest, but you will not be able to vote or
run as a Delegate/Alternate to follow-on Assemblies)
PARTY PEOPLE ONLY!!
No Independents/Unaffiliated Can Participate
The Clerk & Recorder provided voter lists to the Republican party
on Feb 2nd
Bring an ID – you will have to be verified as a
Republican member of that caucus location
WARNING!
Any contact information you provide will be given to EVERYONE
**Email addresses will be required**
Know Caucus Dates and Times
Tuesday, March 1st from 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Caucus business starts at 7:00 p.m. so plan to be there
earlier (6:30 p.m.) to give yourself enough time to
check-in and be ready to go at 7:00 p.m.
Caucus dates are different every two years
Caucuses generally take place on the first Tuesday in
the Feb/Mar timeframe of even years
Caucuses are Major Party Business
Democrat Party
Republican Party
Minor parties such as the American Constitution Party,
Green Party and Libertarian Party are not required to
Caucus and usually do not
Unaffiliated voters (as of January 5th) cannot Caucus
Republican Party
719-578-0022
www.gopelpaso.com(See “Precinct Number Explained” presentation for more details)
Parties Decide Caucus Locations
Signs should be posted at the Caucus location before Caucus
night, but there are no guarantees about this
Because the Republican party decides on the Caucus
location for your Precinct, you must either call them or
go to their website to find out where your Caucus will be
meeting for your neighborhood on March 1st.
Where Do I Caucus?
Your address determines where you will Caucus
Please see the “Precinct Number Explained”
presentation if you would like more information
on how to find your Precinct Number
Please be aware that if you show up at the wrong
location for your address, you will not be able to
participate in the Caucus at that location
Charting Out a Caucus
The next slide is a chart of what happens on Caucus
night.
The blue highlights indicate business that can only be
done on Caucus night, but can have obligations to that
party for the next two years until the next Caucus
The orange highlights indicate business that is done on
Caucus night and is over when the Caucus adjourns
CaucusTuesday, Mar 1st
Your Neighborhood
Elect
County Assembly
Delegates/Alternates
Elect
Congressional
Delegates/Alternates
Elect
State Assembly
Delegates/Alternates
ElectJudicial
Delegates/Alternates
Elect2 Party Precinct Leaders
Division Meetings
JudgeVolunteers
Vote to Forward
Resolutions to
County Assembly
Elect Caucus
Chair
Secretary
TellerVolunteers
Caucuses Explained
The next few slides will walk you through the general
flow of business that typically should be conducted at
your Republican Caucus.
Caucuses will be conducted by the people you elect on
Caucus night to conduct your Caucus so each Caucus
will be unique and slightly different depending on the
personalities you elect and how familiar they are with
the process
Again the orange highlights are Caucus business and the blue
highlights are party business. Other elections are color-coordinated.
Everyone signs in – bring an ID(current Precinct Leaders MAY be signing people in)
Meeting will be called to order at 7:00 p.m.(Prayer and Pledge)
Credentials Report (Whoever signed everyone in will state the number of people present at the
Caucus who are eligible to vote during the Caucus meeting)
Caucus Format
SIGN-IN
Nominate and vote on a temporary Caucus Chair(will run the Caucus meeting - meeting script should be provided)
Nominate and vote on a temporary Caucus Secretary(will record Caucus minutes -- meeting minutes package should be provided)
Ask for Teller Committee volunteers(at least two people to count Caucus votes)
(for larger Caucuses, three or five tellers might be required)
Caucus Format
CAUCUS NIGHT ELECTIONS
Who you elect to run your Caucus impacts how your
Caucus will run on Tuesday evening. A person with
some knowledge about Caucusing would help to make
the evening a quicker and more efficient process(If you are reading this, you are already more qualified than the average Caucus attendee)
Who you elect to record your Caucus is fairly important.
If they record names or votes incorrectly, this could
affect your attendance or where you rank as a Delegate
or Alternate at the follow-on Assemblies. There is no
real recourse for incorrect names or vote tallies that get
recorded on Caucus night.
Are These Elections Important?
Newly-elected Chair reads the
Official Call to the County Assembly(copies should be available so can dispense with reading if everyone agrees)
Optional: Conduct a Precinct Presidential Straw Poll(this is unofficial, but it gives a voice to the average Republican voter in
Colorado who makes the effort to attend a Caucus and the results will at least
be known by your neighbors and reported in the Caucus minutes)
Nominate and vote on Precinct Leaders positions (will serve the local party for the next 2 years)
Caucus Format
PRECINCT LEADER ELECTIONS
Are These Elections Important?
The first duty of a Precinct Leader is attending Division
Meetings the week following Caucus night
Why does this matter? If you do not get a Delegate or
Alternate position at the Judicial/State/Congressional
level that you were hoping to get on Caucus night, the
Precinct Leaders MIGHT be able to secure you one at the
Division Meetings where they compete with other
Precinct Leaders in their Division for additional
Delegate/Alternate slots
Please note you must be a County Delegate or Alternate to qualify for higher assemblies
Are These Elections Important?
The Precinct Leaders elected on Caucus night automatically
become members of your county’s Central Committee – this
is the main body that governs your county party. Precinct
Leaders will vote for the following party issues when they are
representing your neighborhood at the annual meetings:
County Party Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary
Bonus Members
House District Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, and Secretaries
Senate District Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, and Secretaries
County Commissioner District Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, and
Secretaries
Division Leaders
Party By-Law Changes
Are These Elections Important?
Your vote on Caucus night for Precinct
Leader affects who will be voting on your
county’s party Executive Committee and
who will be voting at the state Republican
party level
If you care about how the Republican party
runs your county and your state, this vote
will be important to you
County candidate information for your precinct should be provided
Nominate and vote on County Assembly Delegates (there will be a pre-determined number)
COST: $35
Nominate and vote on County Assembly Alternates(there will be a pre-determined number)
COST: $20
VERY IMPORTANT: If you are not a County Delegate or Alternate, you cannot be
elected to any higher assembly delegate positions (i.e.,
State/Congressional/Judicial)
Also, Caucus night is the ONLY place and time to be designated as a County
Delegate/Alternate
Caucus Format
COUNTY ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
Are These Elections Important?
County Delegates vote to determine who will be on the
Republican Primary Ballot for:
State House of Representatives
State Senators
County Commissioners
Sheriff
County Assessor
County Clerk & Recorder
County Coroner
County Surveyor
County Treasurer
County Delegates also vote for County Party Resolutions
Please see “2016 Candidates” presentation for actual candidates
Presidential and Senatorial candidate information should be provided
Nominate and vote on State Assembly Delegates(there will be a pre-determined number)
COST: $65
Nominate and vote on State Assembly Alternates (there will be a pre-determined number)
COST: $45
Caucus Format
STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
You must have been elected as a County Delegate/Alternate to qualify for a
State Delegate/Alternate position
Are These Elections Important?
State Assembly Delegates vote for:
13 Delegates to the Republican National Convention*
National Committee People
Resolutions
State Assembly Delegates also vote to determine
who will be on the Republican Primary Ballot for:
U.S. Senate
CU Regents At Large
*Discussions are ongoing whether there will be a Presidential binding vote at the State Assembly
Please see “2016 Candidates” presentation for actual candidates
Congressional candidate information should be provided
Nominate and vote on Congressional Assembly Delegates (there will be a pre-determined number)
COST: $0
Nominate and vote on Congressional Assembly Alternates(there will be a pre-determined number)
COST: $0
You must have been elected as a County Delegate/Alternate to qualify for a
Congressional Delegate/Alternate position
Caucus Format
CONGRESSIONAL ASSEMBLY
Are These Elections Important?
Congressional Assembly Delegates vote for:
Three Delegates to the Republican National Convention
Congressional Assembly Delegates also vote to
determine who will be on the Republican Primary
Ballot for each Congressional District:
U.S. House of Representatives
School Board of Education
CU Regents
Please see “2016 Candidates” presentation for actual candidates
Judicial candidate information should be provided
Nominate and vote on Judicial Assembly Delegates (there will be a pre-determined number)
COST: $0
Nominate and vote on Judicial Assembly Alternates(there will be a pre-determined number)
COST: $0
You must have been elected as a County Delegate/Alternate to qualify for a
Judicial Delegate/Alternate position
Caucus Format
JUDICIAL ASSEMBLY
Are These Elections Important?
Judicial Assembly Delegates vote to determine
who will be on the Republican Primary Ballot for
each Judicial District:
District Attorney
Please see “2016 Candidates” presentation for actual candidates
Propose, discuss and vote on Resolutions
Caucus Format
RESOLUTIONS
Your party’s positions on issues are suppose to start with Resolutions
that are voted on at your Caucus. This is your chance to voice your
opinion on multiple issues to your neighbors and the party.
It would be best to come with these already written and with copies to
distribute to your neighbors so they can vote on whether or not to
forward your resolutions to the County Assembly where they will be
consolidated and voted on by County Assembly Delegates.
Some resolution topics to consider:
Life, marriage, parental rights, health care issues, marijuana
legalization, immigration, the Caucus system, elected officials
Complete party paperwork and pay fees
Ask for volunteers to be Election Judges*
Inform everyone about the time and date for the Post-Caucus meeting
(usually the week following the Caucuses, March 7-12)
Adjourn the Caucus
Turn meeting paperwork into Party Headquarters(usually no later than noon, the day after the Caucus)
*Election Judges who volunteer on Caucus night get priority status by their respective parties
Caucus Format
CLOSING ACTIVITIES
Election of Delegates
Every precinct (neighborhood) will have a pre-
determined number of Delegates and Alternates for each
Assembly
Be prepared to explain to your neighbors who you will
be supporting and/or why you will be the best
representative for your precinct
Be prepared to pay for the privilege of representing your
neighbors (up to $100)
(bring cash OR check OR credit card w/smart phone)
Be prepared to give up your weekend time
Why Delegate Votes Are Important
�Candidates for office must get 30% of Delegate votes to get on
the Primary Ballot
�If candidates get between 11 – 29% of Delegate votes, they can
then petition onto the Primary Ballot for County only
�Petitioning involves gathering enough signatures in the week
following the Assembly to qualify
�If candidates get 10% or less of Delegate votes, they cannot
qualify in any way for the Primary Ballot
�Candidates for office can by-pass the Assembly process and
petition onto the Primary Ballot
Candidate Criteria(This is what I use as a Christian to guide my votes for elected positions)
Exodus 18:21
But select capable men from all the people – men who fear God,
trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as
officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
Capable people
People who fear God
Trustworthy people
People who hate dishonest gain
What Can You Do?
Decide if it is worth going to your neighborhood
Caucus
Decide your level of involvement
Supporter
Delegate – Bring cash/checkbook/supporters
Party Leadership – Bring supporters
Resolutions
Election Judge
Tell your friends and neighbors
Challenge an incumbent
Contact Clerk & Recorder, 719-575-8683
Contact Secretary of State, 303-894-2200 x 6383
Wednesday, January 4, 2016
Last day to affiliate with a party to vote in that party’s caucus
Monday, February 1, 2016
Last day to register in a precinct to vote in that precinct’s caucus
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Caucuses for all major parties
Important Caucus Dates
Important Primary Dates
Monday, May 27, 2016
Last day to change registration from one party to
another to vote in Primary – does not apply to changes
from Unaffiliated to a party
Monday, June 6, 2016
Primary Election mail-in ballots sent out
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Primary Election Day
Important General Election DatesTuesday, October 17, 2016
Last day to submit an application to register to vote through a
voter registration drive for the General Election
Monday, October 31, 2016
Last day to register and still receive a General Election mail-in
ballot
Monday, October 17, 2016
General Election mail-in ballots sent out
Monday, October 24, 2016
First day county clerks can begin counting General Election
ballots. No results disclosed until Election Day
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
General Election Day
719-520-6202
Election Department
719-575-VOTE (8683)
car.elpasoco.com/Election
County Clerk and Recorder
Chuck Broerman
Union Town Center Branch Office
8830 N. Union Blvd
(NW corner of Union and Research
Albertsons shopping center)
Powers Branch Office
5650 Industrial Place
(SE corner of Airport and Powers)
Main Office
1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd
Second Floor, Suite 2202
Centennial Hall
200 S Cascade Ave
Secretary of State
Wayne Williams
303-894-2200
www.sos.state.co.us
Department of State
1700 Broadway, Suite 270
Denver CO 80290
http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/docs/2016ElectionCalendar.pdf