CALLING ALL DEMOCRATS
2008 Presidential Caucuses — Participate in Democracy!
February 9, 2008 • 1 pm
sign-in begins 12 noon.
If you arrive after 1:30, you may still be able to participate, depending on where your precinct's caucus is in the agenda
Find your location HERE
Help promote caucus participation HERE
Who may participate:
- Any registered voter who considers him or herself a “Democrat”.
- 17-year-olds eligible to vote on November 4, 2008
- Register to vote at your caucus and participate fully
- Party “registration” or “membership” is not required.
- Participation is free, but donations are welcome.
Why Participate in your Precinct Caucus?
- First step in selecting a Presidential nominee
- Elect delegates to represent your candidate at the next level, leading to delegates to the National Convention
- The mail-in "Presidential Primary," scheduled for Feb. 19, 2008, is simply a "straw poll", and will NOT be used to allocate Democratic Party delegates.
What Happens at the Caucus ?
- Declare Presidential Preference when signing in
- Tally preferences (1st vote)
- Calculate number of delegates per candidate
- Participants lobby each other to get them to vote for their candidate
- Take second vote; participants may change votes
- Re-calculate the number of delegates per candidate
- Elect delegates to the Legislative District Caucus in April, for each candidate
- Consider resolutions and party platform planks
Read the current Platform
Must attend the caucus to "vote"
Except if you cannot attend because of
- Religious observance on Saturdays
- Military service
- Disability
Call 647-7661 for information on proxy voting or see the form.
Committment to Diversity
Equal number of men and women delegates will be selected. Other delegate goals to include:
- African Americans
- Hispanics
- Native Americans
- Asian/Pacific Americans
- Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transexual
- People with Disabilities
- Youth (17-24)
Election Year Dates — Washington State
February 9 – Precinct Caucuses
February 19 – WA Presidential Primary (a “straw poll” only)
April 5 – Whatcom County Convention & Legislative District Caucuses
(These dates are different in Whatcom County than are published by the WA State Democratic Party)
May 17 – Congressional District Caucuses
June 14 – WA State Democratic Convention
August 19 – Primary Election
August 25-28 – Democratic National Convention
Get Involved — Support Your Candidate
The Whatcom Democrats will provide Presidential Candidate campaigns with equal access to our resources to get out the vote to the Caucuses. So step up and get involved. Following is contact information for most of the Presidential Candidates' campaigns.
Sen. Hillary Clinton: Local Contact, Maggie Hanson, 733-2539
John Edwards: Local Contact, Michele Kammerer, 393-2121, email
Sen. Barak Obama: Local Contact, Stephanie Kountouros, 734-2686
Withdrawn Candidates
Sen. Joe Biden
Sen. Chris Dodd
Rep. Dennis Kucinich
Gov. Bill Richardson
What do I need to do NOW?
- Mark your calendar for Feb. 9, so you can plan to attend
- Subscribe to the Whatcom Democrats’ “Caucus Notification” e-mail list, so we can easily remind you and let you know where your caucus will meet.
- If you expect to move before February 9th, be sure to send the County Auditor a change of address. Call 676-6742 for details or check their website.
- Support the work of the Whatcom Democrats with your donation and volunteer time.