* Voice Your Choice * – Full detail about what will happen at the caucus
* Plan Your Planks * – Instructions and a form for writing your own platform resolution
* Caucus Costs * – How you can help
* Know Your Number * – Registration will be quicker if you know your precinct number
* VOICE YOUR CHOICE *
Democrats, get ready to caucus! March 16th is our caucus day. Don’t miss this opportunity! We have two vibrant Democratic Senatorial candidates, Senator Michael Bennet and Former Speaker of the Colorado House, Andrew Romanoff. Your vote in your precinct could be an important and deciding factor in Routt County’s results.
If you have never participated in a caucus, this article will give you an idea of what to expect. If you joined us before, I hope you will find this a good review.
When and Where:
North Routt Precinct: North Routt Democrats, Precinct 1, will meet at the home of Diane White-Crane at 7:00pm, 27550 RCR 64 (Seedhouse Road) in Clark. For directions, please call Diane at 879-3248.
Steamboat Precincts: All precincts in and near Steamboat (3, 4, 6, 7, and11-18) will meet at Soda Creek Elementary School. Please arrive at 6:30 pm to find parking and to register. Time for registration is important; each precinct must insure that each participant is registered as a Democrat in that precinct. The meeting will be called to order at 7:00pm promptly (not Steamboat time!) and there will be brief presentations by Senator Bennet’s and Speaker Romanoff’s representatives, as well as from our local candidates, Commissioner Diane Mitsch Bush, Sherriff Gary Wall and Coroner candidate, Darrell Levingston. Then the precincts will meet in separate locations within the school to conduct their caucuses.
West Routt Precincts: West Routt Democrats (precincts 2 and 5) will meet at the Hayden Library. Please arrive by 6:45 to register; the meeting will start at 7:00pm.
South Routt Precincts: Precincts 8 and 9 (Oak Creek and Stagecoach) will meet in the Community Center at 227 Dodge Ave. in Oak Creek from 7:00pm-9:00pm. Precinct 10 (Yampa) will meet at the Yampa Town Hall. Please arrive at either location by 6:45 to register; the meeting will start at 7:00pm.
What you will do at each precinct caucus:
· Elect a Caucus Chair and Secretary who will preside over the precinct meeting (March 16th only).
· Conduct a preference straw vote for the US Senate race between Senator Bennet and Speaker Romanoff. Within each precinct, you will discuss the senatorial candidates. Then you will take a straw vote to see if each candidate has 15% or more of the total number of precinct members in attendance. An “uncommitted” vote is also an option. Any candidate who does not have 15% is no longer viable in your precinct. Those members who declared for that candidate can then align themselves with one of the other candidates (or they have the option of remaining uncommitted). Once it is clear which candidates meet the 15% threshold, a final vote for senatorial preference is taken. You may not change your vote after this final vote. The results of this preference poll will be reported immediately to the Colorado Democratic Party.
· Elect delegates to the County Assembly, based on the percentages of the final senatorial preference vote.
· Elect two Precinct Committee People to represent your precinct at meetings and events. These are the heart and soul of the Democratic Party and are essential to the election of our candidates and for party activism.
· Present, discuss and accept or reject proposals for planks of the Party Platform. This can include all issues – national, state and local. To learn more, please read the next section, Plan Your Planks.
· Voice support for our local candidates.
· Recruit volunteers to serve as election judges and poll watchers in the coming elections.
Why Caucus? Because it’s exciting! Because it’s the very grassroots level of government in our country and because you truly can make a difference. Take a stand! Let your neighbors know whom you prefer for senator, and hear why they might prefer another. Tell them what you want to see in our party platform and be prepared to convince them why it’s important. This is the foundation of American government, and you are the heart of the process.
*PLAN YOUR PLANKS*
Platform planks, that is. What are your burning issues? Passionate about campaign finance reform? Protecting the Environment? Healthcare? Peace? Whatever your passion, write it up by using the Resolution Form and Format at the end of this message. Then present it to your precinct at the caucus for a vote. We will collect all resolutions which pass the precinct vote, formulate a Routt County Democratic Party Platform which will then be submitted for consideration in the Colorado Democratic Party Platform. To see our full Routt County Democratic Platform of 2008, click on the DOCUMENTS menu item to the left at the top of this webpage.
A sample plank from our 2008 platform is also included in the DOCUMENTS section, along with Jack Dysart’s simple description of format and a form for you to complete. As you can see, this is not difficult!
*CAUCUS COSTS*
Did you know that the Caucus and Assembly are paid for entirely with Routt County Democratic Party funds contributed by our members? At the Steamboat caucus, after you have registered, please stop by the Contribution Table where you can pick up a Yampa Valley Potluck Cookbook or a Routt County Dem T-shirt for a contribution of $10.00 or more. At outlying caucuses, please consider mailing a contribution to: Routt County Democratic Party, P.O. Box 773864, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477. If you want a cookbook or t-shirt, e-mail me. All your donations are truly appreciated.
KNOW YOUR NUMBER
If you don’t know your precinct number, call the Routt County Clerk’s office at 870-5558 or e-mail me at
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with your full name and I’ll send you your precinct number.
