a guide to minnesota precinct caucuses

8/13/2019 A Guide to Minnesota Precinct Caucuses

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A guide toMinnesota’s

2014 Precinct Caucuses

The following content was provided by:

The Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office

The League of Women Voters Minnesota ®

The Minnesota Council of Non-Profits


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Precinct caucuses are the beginning of a process that

Minnesota’s major political parties use for choosingcandidates they will support in an upcoming election

The seats up for election in 2014 are:US Senate (1) seatUS Congress (all seats)

MN Governor

MN Attorney GeneralMN Secretary of State

Minnesota House of Representatives (all seats)


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Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL)

Independence Party (IPM)

Republican Party (GOP)


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Check http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ to find

your caucus location.

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Partywww.dfl.org

Republican Partywww.mngop.org

Independence Party

www.mnip.org

Convene on

Tuesday, February 4th at 7:00 PM*

*Registration usually begins at 6:00 or 6:30 PM


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Anyone can attend to observe.

To participate in a precinctcaucus you must be eligible to

vote in that district on

November 4, 2014.


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No.

However, the major political parties require you to sign an

oath that you will support that party in the upcomingelection to participate.

In other words – ask yourself:

Do you believe in the basic principles of the party?

If yes, then not only can you attend that precinctcaucus you can also participate!


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Libertarian Party- No caucuses in 2014Grassroots Party-No caucuses in 2014

Because they are not major parties they arenot obligated under Minnesota law to follow

the statutory caucus process described hereto endorse their candidates.


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• It gives you an opportunity to encourage the Party

to give voice and to support an issue that mattersto you.

• Allows you to directly support the candidates ofyour choice.

• You can build your involvement in the political

process.

• You will be participating in Minnesota’s unique

grassroots dialogue about policies and politics.


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• Registration for the caucus typically begins at 6:00

or 6:30 PM. All caucuses are convened promptly at7:00 PM by a Caucus Convener.

• Candidate preference ballots (if any) will bedistributed before any caucus business begins.

• Nominations for Precinct Officers and convention

delegates may not close before 7:15 PM

• 7:00 – 7:30 PM begin election of permanent

officers and convention delegates.See Minn. Stat. 202A.18


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1. Elect Precinct Party Officers (to run theprecinct until the next caucus ).

2. Hold candidate preference poll(s).

3. Elect delegates and alternates to the

County and Senate District Conventions.

4. Draft the Party’s Platform


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• Sign in.• Vote on candidate preference ballots, if

any.

• Vote for County/Senate DistrictDelegates.

• Vote for Precinct Party Officers


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Yes. These are activities that you can, but are not required todo.

• If your precinct has subcaucuses, convene a subcaucus fora candidate and/or issue.

• Nominate yourself or others to serve as delegates to thesenate district convention.

• nominate yourself or neighbors for party office

• run for party office

• Present a resolution on an issue that you care about.


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There are potentially two types of delegates elected

at the precinct caucuses – depending upon theparty you caucus with and the seats up for election

in your jurisdiction.

County and/or Senate District

Delegates or Alternates


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explain the entire delegate selection

process.

Precinct Caucus – Candidate Preference Polls,elect county/senate delegates, party officers, and

adopt platform resolutions

Senate District/County Unit Convention –Endorse legislative candidates, elect state

/congressional delegates & the unit’s party officers

Congressional District Convention –Endorse the congressional district candidate, &elect District Party officers

State Convention – Endorse US Senate, Governor,Lt. Governor, State Auditor, Secretary of State andAttorney General candidates, and adopt the Party’sPlatform for next two years.


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At each precinct and convention level, party officers

for that unit are also elected.

You may be nominated – or nominate yourself – torun for a party office.

Often times party units will have a nominatingcommittee that screens nominees in advance or

on the day of the convention*. If you think youmay want to run for party office contact the present

officers and see if there is a screening process.

*No screenings take place at the precinct caucus level, only for certain conventions .


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Party platforms are made up of party positions on awide range of issues.

Resolutions are position statements that can beadopted at the precinct level and advanced to

become party positions at the state and national

level.

Resolutions need to be presented in writing.


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• State the problem or opportunity.

• Provide a rationale for a position.

• Present the position as a policy statement.


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The location of your precinct caucus is dependentupon where you live.

Precinct caucus locations are published by the Partyholding the caucus at least 21 days before thecaucus date.

The Minnesota Secretary of State and the Partysponsoring the precinct caucus will have thelocation of the precinct caucus for your area.


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Can I attend a precinct caucus if I am not oldenough to vote?

You can attend to observe/volunteer at any age. If you will turn 18 on or

before November 4, 2014 you may attend and participate.

What happens if precinct caucuses are cancelledfor bad weather?

Precinct caucuses are rarely cancelled. Contact the Party Office for whomyou intend to caucus if you have a question regarding cancellation.


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Do I have to have picked a candidate to support to attendthe caucus?

No. If you feel strongly about a particular issue, you may subcaucus onthat issue instead of in support of a candidate. A candidate preference poll

maybe be taken at the precinct caucus, you can choose not to participate.


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A subcaucus is a mechanism by which precinct or

convention attendees can organize themselves byissue and delegates can then be elected out of

each subcaucus.

Subcauses are unique to the Democratic-Farmer-

Labor Party. They are a way of assuring

proportional representation to candidate, issue andinterest groups.


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You can “call” a subcaucus around support for

a candidate and/or issue.

-or-

You can join a subcaucus that is alreadyformed around a candidate and/or issue.


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Candidate +Issue

Subcaucus

Candidate +Issue

Subcaucus

Like mindedpeople to alarger

subcaucus

Based upon

the numberof attendees

the people

running the

convention

will

determinebased upon

the total

number of

delegates

permitted,how man

people must

be in a

subcaucus to

elect a single

delegate.

! number of

delegates


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Candidate +Issue

Subcaucus

Candidate +Issue

Subcaucus

Like mindedpeople to alarger sub

caucus

Based upon

the numberof attendees

the people

running the

convention

will

determinebased upon

the total

number of

delegates

permitted,how man

people must

be in a

subcaucus to

elect a single

delegate.

! number of delegates

1. Pick your issue & join a subcaucus.

2. Determine whether that subcaucus is viable to elect a

delegate.3. If not viable or you are seeking to elect more delegates for

your candidate!issue join another subcaucus or "ersuade

another subcaucus to join yours.


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Johnson,Environment

8 people

Johnson,HumanRights

people

Johnson,

HumanRights,Environment

!" people

"or

e#ample$%he

minimum

number of

people for a

subcaucus to

elect a single

delegate is

1& people. 'n

other words,

the

(viabilit)number is 1&.

! 1 *one+delegate

! 0 delegates

! 0 delegates


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No.

You do not need to subcaucus if you are attending aRepublican or Independence Party precinct

caucus or a DFL precinct caucus that chooses not

to subcaucus.


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The elected delegates and their alternates willproceed to the next level of participation

based upon the delegation (county/senatedistrict and congressional/state) to which

they were elected.


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• If you are elected to be a delegate or alternate to aconvention, plan to attend and participate fully.

• Nominate yourself to be a delegate or alternate tothe next level – keep going.

• Promote your resolution and others that you

support.


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Registered Major Parties in Minnesota

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party255 E. Plato Blvd.St. Paul, MN 55107Toll Free: 1-800-999-7457

E-mail: [email protected]: www.dfl.org

Independence PartyP.O. Box 40495St. Paul, MN 55104Phone: 651-998-9156

E-mail: [email protected]: www.mnip.org

Republican Party525 Park St., Suite #250St. Paul, MN 55103Toll Free: 1-877-467-6466

E-mail: [email protected]: www.mngop.com

Registered Minor Parties in Minnesota

Grassroots Party6304 Falcon CourtEdina, MN 55436Phone: 651-280-7922E-mail: [email protected]

Libertarian Party624 Central AveOsseo, MN 55369Phone: 763-528-5163E-mail: [email protected]: www.lpmn.org

As registered with the State as of January 2014

a guide to minnesota precinct caucuses

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