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


Elect

State Assembly


ElectJudicial


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Congressional Delegate/Alternate position

Caucus Format

CONGRESSIONAL ASSEMBLY


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


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


Judicial Delegate/Alternate position

Caucus Format

JUDICIAL ASSEMBLY


Judicial Assembly Delegates vote to determine

who will be on the Republican Primary Ballot for

each Judicial District:

District Attorney


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


General Election mail-in ballots sent out


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

[email protected]

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

2016 Caucus Training€¦ · Must be registered to vote for 29 days before the Caucus (February 1,...

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