February 9 Caucus

As many of you may know, both the Democratic and Republican parties are having Caucuses this Saturday, February 9 at 1 p.m. If you are a Democrat, the caucus is your only way to affect the delegate race between Clinton and Obama. The February 19 primary, on the other hand, is non-binding for Democrats - as the Democratic party ignores the results for purpose of delegate allocation. Why do we still have a primary? According to the Washington Secretary of State's website, the primary was designed primarily to allow everyday voters to participate in the nomination process "not just political party insiders who participate in the caucuses." If you want to find out where to caucus, here is a neat Caucus Finder for the Democrats, where you can type in your address to find your caucus location. Highlights from the FAQ at the Washington State Democrats website:

Who can participate in their Caucus? All registered voters and those who will be 18 at the time of the presidential election can vote at their Caucus. You can register to vote at the Caucus location and vote in the Caucus. Others who are not registered can participate but can not vote. To register online go to http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx

Do I have to be a registered Democrat to vote in the Caucus? Washington State does not require a voter to register by Party.

Do I have to be registered to vote in the precinct that I will caucus in? Yes, you must be registered in the precinct that you are caucusing in. If you have recently moved you can reregister at the Precinct Caucus on that day. Other options if you have recently moved: You can go back to your old precinct or you can petition to be a delegate for a candidate in your new precinct without voting by writing a statement stating that you will be willing to be the delegate for a particular candidate

This "political party insider" will be joining Andrew Taylor at the Mount Zion Baptist Church on Saturday.

Update: Just realized that I will be out of town on Saturday and Andrew might either be at Mount Zion Church or at Roosevelt High School (see comment below)
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