Wednesday, March 2, 2016

A Night At the Caucus - Or Primary vs Caucus

As I stated yesterday, I spent the first voting years of my life in either Florida or Virginia.  In both states, one visited a designated precinct's polling place, signed in, and went to a voting machine to make one's vote.  When I moved to Colorado, I was initiated into the role of the Caucus.  I didn't know it, but Colorado had used Primary elections in the past, and changed to the Caucus venue to save an estimated $3 million in cost per Primary.
   The Republicans in Colorado held a non-binding straw caucus last night, in some areas, while the Democrats were holding their Caucus.  I went to my place of Caucus, Boulder High School, and, after waiting 3 hours, and having been assured (at the beginning) that my vote would count, I was one of hundreds, possibly thousands, that were turned away.  I was very upset and angry.  In counting the non-binding straw vote, Repulicans largely supported Trump; while in Longmont,  from a precinct with a voter turn-out of 20, two voted for Trump, and there were nine votes each for Rubio and Cruz.
   At 1 a.m. this morning, the Boulder Democratic committee stated that during last night's Caucus, 23,568 votes were cast - 63% for Bernie Sanders. 36% for Hilary Clinton, and 1% undecided.   But the Democrats also stated that they were completely overwhelmed by the voting turn-out and had very badly underestimated the interest in this year's vote.  (They had planned for a turn-out of 15,000 or less.)  Hundreds of people at my sister's caucus site, Centennial Middle School, were turned away.  My room mate Beatrice and I were turned away, as were many other hundreds of voters at Boulder High School.
   The Boulder County Democrat Party has apologized to those of us who were unable to vote.  I think that,perhaps, Colorado should go back to a Primary voting poll rather than a caucus, in the very near future.....  Colorado uses mail-in ballots, or one can deposit them into repositories at several locations.  At least that way, I know my vote would have been counted - as it was not last night.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.