Where is my Precinct Caucus?
(cross-posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)
Just yesterday, I received four e-mails from individuals who wanted to know where their precinct caucuses will be held on February 5. For those of you who are new to the process, Colorado will be holding precinct caucuses for both the Democratic and Republican parties all across the State of Colorado on Tuesday night, February 5, at 7:00 p.m.
First of all, to find out your caucus locations, many counties already have their locations online at the Colorado Democratic Party website:
http://coloradodems.org/content/view/616
If you don’t see your county’s locations there, try the county party’s website, if they have one. You can see a list of all of the county parties, including their websites if they have one, here:
http://coloradodems.org/content/view/484/76/
Finally, if your county party does not have a website, use that latter page to find out the county party officers, and give one of them a call or e-mail. They should be able to answer your questions. But, be aware, some counties are still finalizing a few caucus locations; I heard that Douglas County was just finalizing their last caucus center location yeterday. (By the way, if you are a county party leader, be sure to send the locations of your caucuses to the State Party, as well as to your county clerk, as many voters may go to one of those two sources to find out where to caucus.)
After figuring out where you go, you need to make sure you clear your calendar for the evening of February 5. As we saw last night in Iowa, Democrats are more “fired up” this cycle (sorry, couldn’t avoid the reference for those who get it) than in years past. Even in Iowa, where voters had seemingly become jaded with the attention they receive, turnout nearly doubled from 2004.
Here in Colorado, we need to be ready for a record evening in our precincts. We have a “double-whammy” here: first, we’ve moved up the caucuses to February 5, which means that our caucuses actually will be meaningful for the first time in decades. Throw out the historical turnout at your precinct caucuses — that fact alone could triple or quadruple turnout itself. But last night was the other canary in the coal mine for county parties: in addition to the increased turnout that comes from being on February 5, Democrats can expect a wave — perhaps a tsunami — of new people on caucus night. Young people turned out in unbelievably record numbers. If that is replicated again for Democrats (the Republicans saw heavy turnout, but nothing like the Dems last night) in Colorado, holding caucuses in the same places could prove to be rather tight quarters. In other words: plan accordingly, county parties.
All of this spells good things for Democrats in 2008; the new blood that turns out on a cold evening in February 5 will hopefully be transformed into precinct-walking, voter-calling, envelope-stuffing machines in September and October!