Caucus

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A caucus is a political party gathering in which party members choose candidates for an election. At a caucus, participants may debate about the candidates; in addition, the voting process itself may not be conducted by secret ballot. Instead, caucus-goers may vote by raising hands or gathering in groups organized by preferred candidate. A primary election, by contrast, is an election in which voters select their preferred candidates by casting secret ballots.

Historically, caucuses were the dominant method by which the major political parties determined their presidential nominees. Today, caucuses are less common than primary elections. However, political parties in some states, such as Iowa, still conduct caucuses as part of the presidential nominating process. The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies for the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process.

Caucuses and presidential nominations

Hover over the terms below to display definitions.

Ballot access laws

Primary election

Caucus

Delegate

A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, state delegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preference primaries or caucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties—such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.

The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.

Support and opposition

Support

In a 2011 report, the National Conference of State Legislatures noted that party-administered caucuses are less costly than state-administered primary elections:

“	When states propose a primary, they usually pay for it, so the cost of running a primary can be a determining factor in whether to hold one. It was money, at least in large measure, that caused the Washington Legislature to pull the plug on a 2012 primary. By doing so, the state saved $10 million.	”
—National Conference of State Legislatures

Kathy O'Bradovich, writing for the Des Moines Register in 2015, argued that caucuses provide candidates that otherwise would be ignored a chance to win:

“	It ensures that there is at least one place where a candidate with a compelling message has a shot at winning, regardless of money or national fame. Iowans take their responsibility seriously, informing themselves of the issues, turning out to meet candidates and expecting them to answer questions. That won't happen everywhere else.	”
—Kathy O'Bradovich

Opposition

In a 2016 opinion piece for U.S. News and World Report, editor Pat Garofalo wrote that caucuses are "much more of a commitment" than primaries, and that this results in lower turnout. Garofalo wrote the following:

“	Because coming to a caucus is much more of a commitment than casting a traditional secret ballot – both in the amount of time it takes and, for the Democratic primary in Iowa at least, having to publicly declare your allegiance – they tend to attract the most committed supporters of a candidate and only those who have the time to navigate the drawn-out process. [...] For anyone who can't afford to take several hours to caucus in the evening due to a job or parental duties or who knows what other responsibility, too bad.	”
—Pat Garofalo

A 2016 editorial in the Boston Globe argued that caucuses are undemocratic and should be abandoned in favor of primaries. The Boston Globe editorial board wrote the following:

“	The structural and systemic flaws that characterize state caucuses work against the democratic process in a way that primaries, where polls are open longer and vote tallies are more often standardized, do not. In a caucus, voters who aren’t physically able to sit in a school gymnasium and debate the merits of their candidate with their neighbors get shut out. And obscure rules that vary from state to state governing delegate allotment and proxy balloting make for confusing inconsistencies when tallying results.	”
—The Boston Globe

See also

• Primary election
• Delegates
• 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules