Aaron Landry

Sanford Middle School (my caucus location), originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Go out and Caucus tonight.

As many of you know, I’m a long-time supporter of Barack Obama. I won’t go on about why I am in this post but a mix of Ed Kohler, Matt Martin and Adam Platt’s comments end up hitting pretty close to my point of view.

Regardless of whomever you are supporting, it’s important to go out and caucus tonight. In some ways one could argue that you have more influence on who becomes president today than you do on election day.

Even if you don’t know how to caucus or how it works, go. Instructions are given throughout the process. If you haven’t been, the short of it is that it’s a meeting with neighbors. You have a presidential preference vote and votes on some minor party positions and resolutions such has proposed amendments and proposed changes to the party platform. You also choose who will represent you and your caucus in the senate district convention later on. Sometimes it works with a raise of hands and everyone who wants to go, gets to go. If there’s more people that want to go than your precinct can send on, check out this video from the Franken campaign on subcaucusing. It may seem confusing and chaotic at first, but once you start doing it it makes a lot more sense.

The people at the senate district conventions end up doing the same thing to decide who goes on to the state convention. Then it’s the state convention where it’s voted on who will be on the ballot for the Minnesota races. Even if you’re not interested in moving on, it’s good to help a friend or neighbor that has the similar points of view as you or supports the same candidates to move on. It’ll make more sense when you’re there. I promise!

Every time I’ve caucused at the precinct level, everyone that wanted to move on to the senate district level could without the need for subcaucusing. It was really easy.

By the way, the presidential preference voting is separate from all of the subcaucusing and such. It just works like a regular vote.

Some presidential campaigns have suggested coming between a certain timeframe, because technically you can skip the majority of the caucus and just come in and do a presidential preference vote at any time during the caucus. I don’t really recommend this. I think it’s worthwhile to show up before 7pm and actually attend the caucus. It’s up to you and your schedule though.

And really, if you don’t want to get that involved but want to have your voice heard, you can attend and simply vote. It’s not hard.

Either way, go.

DFL Caucus Finder (By the way, independents can vote in the presidential preference voting with the DFL and stay independent - as long as you’re not a registered member of another party.)

All parties: Minnesota Election Caucus Finder