An exercise in American democracy

Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, February 6, 2008

If you’re a Republican, you might say your caucus appearance this Saturday counts for one half of your preference, your ballot vote for the other. Whereas if you’re a Democrat, marking your ballot is almost a perfunctory exercise; the real action will be at the caucus halls.

Got that?

The patchwork process for winnowing the field of presidential hopefuls can be confusing, to be sure. But the exercise in “neighborhood democracy” is not to be missed this weekend, when the major parties caucus at locations around the island even as ballots whiz through the mail toward the elections office for the primary 10 days later. Party operatives from both sides of the aisle see Washington – usually an afterthought behind the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire primaries, and bigger states in the delegate sweepstakes – as a real player in this year’s selection process.

How does it work?

Both Democrats and Republicans will caucus this Saturday, Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. Don’t be late; caucuses are closed to entries at 1:30 p.m. Democrats are divided into 22 neighborhood precincts, which can be found using the Washington State Democrats precinct search at www.wa-democrats.org/caucusfinder or by calling its caucus hotline: (206) 583-4345. Each precinct is assigned to meet at one of five island schools. For Republicans, all island precincts caucus at the American Legion Hall on Bucklin Hill Road.

Caucus goers must have a voter registration card and be willing to declare themselves as a Democrat or Republican at the respective caucuses. Seventeen-year-olds who will turn 18 before the November general election are allowed to participate, but even younger kids are welcome – perhaps encouraged, to witness an unusual and exciting lesson in the political process. Expect plenty of wheeling and dealing on the floor, as citizens state their preference and implore their neighbors to vote likewise.

Special provision can also be made for deployed service members and the disabled. The Kitsap Auditors Office can be reached at (360) 337-7128 to field inquiries.

All of this will eventually lead to the selection of final delegates for the party conventions later this year, the Democrats in Denver in August, the Republicans in Minneapolis-St. Paul in September. Those delegates will be the ones selecting the two candidates who square off on the November presidential ballot, which in turn will determine our nation’s course for the next four years.

Remember: Washington Democrats will determine all their delegates for presidential nominee candidates at the Feb. 9 caucuses, with no delegates to be awarded through the Feb. 19 primary (but you should vote anyway as a matter of form). Washington Republicans will use caucuses to determine 49 percent of delegates; the rest will be awarded in the Feb. 19 primary.

If this seems a messy and distinctly American electoral exercise, well, even the word “caucus” is indigenous to our continent. It entered today’s English not from some European language but from the Algonquin tongue, the native word “cau-cau-asu” meaning “counsel” or “adviser.”

Come Saturday, that is our role – advisers to the nation’s future. May we counsel wisely.