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Madam45for2923

(7,178 posts)
Mon Nov 6, 2017, 10:56 AM Nov 2017

Colorado, Maine & Minnesota switching from caucus 2 State funded Primary brings # to 11 (14 in 2016)

Caucuses are attractive to states because the parties foot the bill, not taxpayers. But Dan Diorio of the National Conference of State Legislatures says this year has many caucus states questioning whether it's worth it.
http://www.cpr.org/news/story/colorado-switch-caucus-primary-no-easy-matter


https://frontloading.blogspot.com/p/2020-presidential-primary-calendar.html?m=1

A 2020 Presidential Primary in Colorado
This is part one in a series of posts about 2017 legislation seeking to alter state laws concerning the timing of presidential primary elections or caucuses.

A careful reading of the set up post to this piece is revealing of an omission to the group of states that made caucus-to-primary shifts in 2016. While Maine and Minnesota took more conventional routes -- passing legislation establishing presidential primary elections to replace caucuses -- Colorado voters took an atypical path in the state's switch to a presidential primary for the 2020 cycle.

And it is not that Colorado legislators had not tried to make the change. Efforts in both 2015 and 2016 languished in the committees to which they were referred and died when their respective sessions adjourned. In addition, the 2016 bill was introduced with the 2016 caucuses process in the Centennial state as the backdrop. That "debacle" featured a state Democratic party overwhelmed by a large turnout (and other subsequent problems) and Republican process that elected delegates but without an attendant preference vote for president. The result was that Coloradans of all political stripes were left unsatisfied with the process.

Enough were disenchanted and organized -- even in the time in mid-spring around which the 2016 presidential primary legislation was introduced -- that an initiative was approved and added to the November general election ballot. When the legislative effort failed, then, there was a citizen-driven effort, approved by the Colorado secretary of state, to fill the void. That initiative, Proposition 107, easily passed.

https://frontloading.blogspot.com/2017/05/a-2020-presidential-primary-in-colorado.html



Following LePage Signature, Maine Now Has a Presidential Primary
The presidential caucus may be gone in Maine for 2020.


Over the last month, presidential primary legislation with widespread support quickly moved through the Maine state legislature. Proposed on March 23, LD 1673 establishes a presidential primary in the Pine Tree state, charges the Maine secretary of state with setting the primary date for a Tuesday in March during a presidential election year, and also tasks the secretary of state with exploring the costs (to the state) of the election.

Similar legislation has been introduced in the recent past, but stalled in the legislature. In 2016, however, the move to reestablish a presidential primary in Maine for the first time since 2000 garnered significant support. 84 co-sponsors joined the bill's sponsor, Senator Justin Alfond (D-27th, Portland) significantly helped ease the primary bill through both chambers -- 128-22 in the House and unanimously in the state Senate -- this past week and onto Governor LePage's desk.

https://frontloading.blogspot.com/2016/04/following-lepage-signature-maine-now.html



Dayton Signs Minnesota Presidential Primary Bill
The list of caucus states for 2020 decreased by one more on Sunday, May 22.


Already, Maine has shifted from caucus to primary for 2020, and now Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton (D) has signed legislation triggering the same transition in the North Star state. Like Maine, the newly signed law does not specify a date for the new election, but instead defers the "when" decision to another party. Under the Maine primary law, the legislature cedes the decision-making authority to the secretary of state who consults with the state parties before settling on a date.

https://frontloading.blogspot.com/2016/05/dayton-signs-minnesota-presidential.html


And while it is true that caucuses are not going anywhere anytime soon, they have gradually dwindled in number over the course of the post-reform era. Primaries have proliferated as the main means of presidential preference expression across the nation since 1972. Then there were only 22 primary elections. The remainder were caucuses. In the time since, the balance has tipped and even more decidedly toward primaries. Not counting the territorial contests in 2016, there were, as was mentioned previously, just 14 caucuses left in mainly small and medium-sized states. That number will be scaled back even further in 2020. Already Colorado, Maine and Minnesota have made moves to add state-funded primary options for the next presidential nomination cycle. And in the latter two, the state parties have a say in the date selection for the primary and thus have incentive to opt in. In Colorado, the state parties are structurally hemmed in by the new law and national party rules and likely have no other recourse but to utilize the primary for delegate allocation.

That leaves just 11 caucus states at this point in 2017 for 2020. And other than Washington, the remaining caucuses are in small states. None have more than four members in the House. Participation rates in caucuses, though reduced by comparison to primaries, are reduced by less in small states than in large states. Those are all steps in the right direction for those who are proponents of scaling back or eliminating caucuses.

https://frontloading.blogspot.com/
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Colorado, Maine & Minnesota switching from caucus 2 State funded Primary brings # to 11 (14 in 2016) (Original Post) Madam45for2923 Nov 2017 OP
Good RandySF Nov 2017 #1
There were some elements of the Minnesota caucus system I enjoyed. MineralMan Nov 2017 #2
Sounds like it is up to States to fund primaries! Glad you enjoyed process in ur State! Madam45for2923 Nov 2017 #5
Main what ? nt eppur_se_muova Nov 2017 #3
Thanks, I corrected! Madam45for2923 Nov 2017 #4
Great move. Caucuses are chaotic and a pain in the ass. nt oasis Nov 2017 #6
Seems the voters of both parties in Colorado voted for the change. Madam45for2923 Nov 2017 #7
I participated in caucuses in both Hawaii and Nevada. oasis Nov 2017 #11
Part of the reason for the switch in Maine is because PatsFan87 Nov 2017 #8
I did some caucuses when younger in CO where I lived at the time. I remember it became a big drag Madam45for2923 Nov 2017 #9
Excellent. I wish every state used primaries. n/t Tom Rinaldo Nov 2017 #10

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
2. There were some elements of the Minnesota caucus system I enjoyed.
Mon Nov 6, 2017, 11:02 AM
Nov 2017

I liked the meetings with other voters in my precinct. I enjoyed participating in the district conventions that followed the caucuses. However, I also recognized that they were not effective in measuring voter sentiment. They had too few attendees as a percentage of registered voters. That made it easy for a small group to override others.

I'm backing out of active Democratic organization activities, due to advancing age and time constraints. I've enjoyed being a precinct chair and a delegate to various conventions. However, I believe that our new primary election system will produce a more accurate measure of what voters want.

 

Madam45for2923

(7,178 posts)
5. Sounds like it is up to States to fund primaries! Glad you enjoyed process in ur State!
Mon Nov 6, 2017, 11:13 AM
Nov 2017

But the population is increasing everywhere so I guess it makes more sense to make it easier, not harder.

 

Madam45for2923

(7,178 posts)
7. Seems the voters of both parties in Colorado voted for the change.
Mon Nov 6, 2017, 11:54 AM
Nov 2017

The DEMS had a large turnout and the caucus was difficult because of it.
The Repubs were also upset w/the process but for a different reason.

oasis

(49,152 posts)
11. I participated in caucuses in both Hawaii and Nevada.
Mon Nov 6, 2017, 12:19 PM
Nov 2017

The 2004 caucus at my precinct in Honolulu was a pleasant experience. No disrespectful behavior from any of the participants.

My 2008 Nevada experience was stressful.

PatsFan87

(368 posts)
8. Part of the reason for the switch in Maine is because
Mon Nov 6, 2017, 12:05 PM
Nov 2017

it wasn't adequately staffed/prepared for the number of people who wanted to participate. In Portland, our largest and most liberal city, people were getting turned away and they haphazardly turned it into a primary where people voted and left.

I like this move though. I think it will increase turnout with younger people. No young person wants to sit at a caucus for three hours as endless rules and details of county/town positions, party specifics, etc. are explained. People just want to vote for the candidate they like and go. We'll probably be an open primary too since most people up here are independents.

 

Madam45for2923

(7,178 posts)
9. I did some caucuses when younger in CO where I lived at the time. I remember it became a big drag
Mon Nov 6, 2017, 12:07 PM
Nov 2017

after a few hours.

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