How the Nebraska Caucuses Work
While caucuses are not new, they are new to Nebraska. A “caucus” is by definition a meeting of people to discuss political ideas. A Precinct is as geographic political unit. A Precinct Caucus is, by definition, politics at the neighborhood level.
The Nebraska Presidential Caucuses will be conducted in a manner similar to the Iowa Caucuses. The precinct caucuses will determine the presidential preference of each precinct. They will elect county delegates pledged to support the strongest presidential candidates. County Delegates will then elect State Delegates who will in turn elected Nebraska’s National Convention Delegates. The state-wide results of February 9, 2008 will bind Nebraska’s at large delegates at the 2008 National Convention.
The Lancaster County Precinct Caucuses will be conducted as follows:
Participants must register and must be a registered Democrat who resides in the Precinct.
A precinct leader will call the meeting to order at 6:00 pm and a chair of the caucus and a caucus secretary will be elected.
The chair will then recognize the Democratic Presidential Candidates who have asked to participate and divide the room into sections for support each candidate.
Candidate support groups will select a spokesman who will state the case for their candidate. People can then switch groups before a “Viability” determination will be taken.
If a Candidate does not have 15% of the participants in his group, that Candidate is eliminated as “not viable.” Then a re-alignment can occur in which anyone can switch groups.
When all the remaining Candidates are determined to be viable, the chair will allocate the Precinct Delegates to the viable candidates by strength of numbers present.
If a viable candidate does not get allocated any county delegates, that Candidate’s supporters may then join the groups with Delegates.
Persons can campaign to be elected the County Delegates for that precinct for their candidate. Alternates may also be elected.
The results are reported to the State Party for final tabulation of the Nebraska Presidential Preferences
The Delegates will then convene in June 2008 County Convention to continue the delegate selection process.
You must be elected County Delegate to be eligible for eventual election as a National Delegate for Nebraska.
The National Delegation must reflect Nebraska’s preferences as determined by the caucuses on February 9, 2008.
It is important that other political business can be raised at the Caucuses. This is your chance to advance your ideas for consideration at the county convention and beyond.
Vic Covalt
LCDP Caucus
Chair
402-436-3030