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Precinct caucus, primary Q&A
Republican presidential candidates are focusing on Florida this week and Democratic candidates on South Carolina, but elections officials in Washington on Wednesday were trying to remind voters about the Feb. 19 primary here.
Each state shows its preference for a presidential nominee a little differently, but Washington state's process may be the most unusual, Secretary of State Sam Reed said.
Washington voters can go to a precinct caucus on Feb. 9 and vote in a presidential primary on Feb. 19.
Republicans will award about half their delegates through each system; Democrats will award all of theirs through the caucus, but their candidates will be on the primary ballot.
Confused? Here are some answers to questions about how Washington handles the presidential nomination process.
Q: Why do we have both precinct caucuses and a primary?
A: The precinct caucuses, which are essentially meetings of party members in a specific voting area, have been used by both parties for decades. Participants show their support for a presidential candidate during a presidential election year, but they also discuss local, state and national issues and select delegates to the county convention. Party leaders like caucuses because they help identify members in a state that doesn't require voters to pick a party when they register, and the meetings attract new activists into the party.
Voters pushed the Legislature into approving a presidential primary in 1988. But state law can't require the parties to use the results for delegate selection; that's up to each party and is based on rules set by their national committees. Republicans have used the primaries for varying amounts of delegates over the years. Democrats have always refused to award any delegates based on primary results.
Q: So what's more important, attending the caucus or voting in the primary?
A: At this stage of the presidential race, the campaign staffs say they are concentrating on getting as many delegates as possible for their candidate as they try to wrap up the nomination before the national conventions. So the Democratic campaign staffs say they are focusing on the caucuses, and haven't given much thought to the state primary – not solely because there are no delegates involved but because they are having trouble looking very far past Super Tuesday (Feb. 5), when about 22 states are having some sort of primary or caucus to award delegates. Republicans say they care about both, but again, the caucuses are sooner.
In an interview Wednesday in Spokane, Reed said he believes candidates who survive Super Tuesday will come to Washington for the primary, regardless of the number of delegates being awarded. He argued that campaigns aren't really about delegates anymore, they're about connecting with voters and proving a candidate is electable. He also noted that there are relatively few contests between Feb. 12 and March 3, so Washington might be a logical place for candidates to spend time.
Q: When will I get my ballot?
A: Elections officials will put them in the mail on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Q: Who's on the ballot?
A: Even candidates who have dropped out – Sens. Chris Dodd and Joe Biden for the Democrats, former Sen. Fred Thompson and Rep. Duncan Hunter for the Republicans – are listed because the ballots were printed early in the month. Because of this, Reed suggested voters wait at least until after the Super Tuesday primaries to mark and mail their ballots if they want to be sure their candidate is still in.
Each candidate's votes will be tallied and reported by elections officials, whether or not they're still in the race.
Q: Will I get a ballot for each party, or one ballot with all the candidates on it?
A: In Spokane County, vot-ers will receive one ballot with both parties' candidates, and mark a single candidate. In many other Eastern Washington counties, however, they'll get a Democratic ballot and a Republican ballot, and mark and mail back the ballot of their choice.
Q: What about an unaffiliated ballot?
A: That was a third option in the state's previous presidential primaries. But neither party ever paid any attention to those results, and the Legislature changed the law last year, which eliminated that option.
Q: Do I have to say I'm a member of that party to vote for a candidate?
A: If you want your vote to be counted by elections officials, yes. In vote-by-mail counties – which all the counties in Eastern Washington are – you will have to check a box that says you agree with an "oath" approved by the party of the candidate you are selecting.
The Republican oath says "I declare I am a member of the Republican Party and I have not participated and will not participate in the 2008 precinct caucus or convention system of any other party."
The Democratic oath says "I declare that I consider myself to be a DEMOCRAT and I will not participate in the nomination process of any other political party for the 2008 Presidential election."
Q: Will the parties know which box I checked?
A: Yes. State law requires elections officials to supply the parties with a list of voters selecting their ballots. It does not, however, require the state to enforce the oaths. For instance, Reed said that there would be no action taken against anyone who participated in the Republican caucuses but voted in the Democratic primary, or vice versa.
