According to ballotpedia.org, a caucus†is a political party gathering in which party members choose candidates for an election. A†primary election, by contrast, is a state-administered election in which voters select their preferred candidates.†Primaries are run by state governments, caucuses are run by political parties.In Colorado, the caucus meetings are March 1 for the Republican Party and March 5 for the Democratic Party. The Colorado Secretary of State website explains the process that follows the initial caucus meetings:
- The county assembly on March 19 is where county candidates are designated for the primary election, and the county assembly also selects delegates to attend the congressional district assemblies and the state assembly.
- The district assembly is convened to designate district level delegates to the national convention. The delegates there also nominate candidates for Congress, the Colorado General Assembly, the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents and the district attorneys.
- The purpose of the state assembly is to nominate candidates for statewide offices to the primary election ballot. During the assembly, delegates will also be elected to attend the national convention.
John Mikos, county chair of the El Paso County Democratic Party, said the caucus is a time to come together to select precinct organizers who become the local representatives at the neighborhood level of the political party. The party also selects delegates to attend the county and district assemblies, he said. Voters can also sign up to be an election judge to work with the El Paso County Clerk and Recorderís office counting ballots on Election Day, Mikos said.The district assembly is where candidates need at least a 30% vote to move on to the primary ballot in June, he said. In theory, Mikos said up to three candidates for each office could move on to the primary. There are also multi-district assemblies for those counties whose political districts cross into another county, he added.Candidates can also circulate a petition to registered voters who live in the district, if they get enough signatures and submit that to the Colorado Secretary of State; they can also qualify for the primary, Mikos said.The Democratic caucus will be a hybrid event consisting of in-person and the virtual site, Zoom, for the first time, he said. ìIt will be more of a challenge as we will need to do credentialing due to the virtual piece of the meeting,î Mikos said. Voters will go to the website to sign up and indicate whether they will attend in person or virtually; once they are validated as a registered Democrat, they will receive an email with instructions.ìItís a brand new world for us, and we are expanding participatory democracy by offering a virtual option; it will make participating in the caucus more accessible for working families, people with disabilities and people in rural areas,î Mikos said.Vickie Tonkins, county chair of the El Paso County Republican Party, said there are about 291 precincts. She said the caucus meetings are not necessarily held at the same place where one votes. Multiple precinct meetings will be held at the same place; for example, there are 15 to 20 precincts that will all meet at Russell Middle School.As with the Democrat Party, precinct leaders are voted on at the Republican Caucus. There is also an opportunity to sign up to be a delegate or an alternate delegate, Tonkins said. ìThe delegates are the ones who vote and decide who will be on the primary ballot,î she said. ìThere is a formula for how many people can be delegates based on how many votes were cast in the previous election, which is broken down by each precinct.îThe county assembly on March 19 will be held at Vista Ridge High School. Tonkins said this is where candidates will have an opportunity to talk to the voters about why they should be chosen; there are about 3,000 delegates registered to attend.She said once people gather, they see how fun it is to get together with their neighbors and friends and participate in the voting process. ìAfter all, our elections are about ëwe the people,í and this is where the people get to make the decisions,î Tonkins said. She would like to see 30 to 40 people at each caucus meeting.Tonkins said unaffiliated voters may attend caucus meetings as a visitor; however, they canít vote or speak.ìI encourage people if theyíve never participated before to go to your caucus and experience it; be a part of it. I think itís fun and a great way to meet your neighbors,î Tonkins said.El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, Chuck Broerman, said their office is superficially involved in the party caucus meetings.Angie Leath, director of elections, said as keepers of the voter registration list, they provide the caucuses with a check-in list for the meeting. She said they also have staff available if anyone shows up that isnít on the list, and the staff answers questions about eligibility or voter status and party affiliation. The staff also helps voters find their precinct meeting room.The office also provides the necessary forms to voters interested in becoming an election judge, Leath said. From there, they reach out to applicants depending on how many openings are available and have them fill out the final paperwork, and they do a background check as well, she said.Kristi Ridlen, public information officer for the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Office, said they make every attempt to inform the community about the voting process through press releases, town hall meetings, TV, radio and print. She said they rely heavily on their trusted community partners like the chambers and other civic and community groups to disseminate information out to their people on behalf of the clerk and recorder office. She said people are always welcome to contact the office with questions and concerns.Leath recommended visiting http://www.govotecolorado.gov to register or review personal information to make sure it is correct for the June primary before they mail ballots out.Broerman also encouraged voters to visit the site, so they have access to their ballot the full 21 days before the primary to have time to research the candidates.
