Caucuses for Dummies: How Coloradans Choose Primary Candidates

For many of Colorado's political hopefuls, the journey to get onto the ballot begins the first week in March.  Precinct caucuses are the first step, setting the groundwork for county, district and state assemblies that will take place through mid-April. 
 
This lengthy grassroots process is one of two routes to get onto the primary ballot in Colorado; candidates can also collect petition signatures to qualify for the ballot. However, the assembly process is often less expensive and is a way for the two major political parties to engage voters and decide on a party platform for the year. 

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What Is a Precinct Caucus?

Precinct caucuses are community meetings of registered Republicans and Democrats held ahead of primary elections. During the meetings, voters elect delegates to represent their precinct at their party's upcoming countywide assemblies. They also elect precinct leaders responsible for organizing future political activities within the precinct. 
 
At county assemblies, elected delegates nominate candidates for countywide races to be on the primary ballot. Candidates must get at least 30 percent of the delegate vote to make the ballot, meaning only three candidates per office can make it through an assembly, though it’s often fewer. Delegates at county assemblies also decide which delegates will advance to the district and state assemblies.  
 
At the district assemblies, delegates nominate candidates for the primary ballot for Congress, the state legislature, the state Board of Education, the Board of Regents and district attorneys. At the state assemblies, they nominate candidates for the primary ballot for statewide offices, and elect delegates to go to their party's national convention to cast votes for presidential candidates based on the results of the presidential primary election on March 5. 

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Who Can Participate in a Caucus? 

Precinct caucuses are open to the public, but only registered members of the Republican and Democratic parties are eligible to vote for their party's delegates and precinct leaders. 

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To participate in a party's precinct caucus, voters must live within the precinct, be registered to vote and be affiliated with the party. All of these requirements must be met at least 22 days before the caucus — so for those who aren't already eligible, it's too late to get involved in this year's caucuses. 
 
Unaffiliated voters cannot participate in party precinct caucuses, but they can vote in either party's primary election on March 5.  
 
Some people under the age of eighteen are allowed to vote at precinct caucuses, with the rules varying by party:  pre-registered Republicans who are seventeen years old during the caucus but will turn eighteen by the general election can vote.  Pre-registered Democrats who are at least sixteen years old during the caucus can vote.  

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When and Where Are Caucuses? 

This year, precinct caucuses must be held between Tuesday, March 5, and Saturday, March 9. Local party leaders are responsible for choosing the time and place for each precinct caucus. 

For the Republican Party, voters can find their caucus location by entering their address at caucus.cologop.org. Then, use the resulting contact information to request the time and date of the caucus, or reach out to your county's party head at cologop.org/counties. 

 

What's Next in Colorado?

County assemblies are the next step after precinct caucuses in Colorado. The county assemblies must occur within three weeks of the caucuses, though many counties hold their assembly on the same day, beginning immediately after the precinct caucus concludes. 
 
District assemblies happen next. The Republican Party will hold its congressional assemblies on April 5.  The Democratic Party's House, Senate and judicial district assemblies are scheduled to take place between March 30 and April 10, and its congressional district assemblies are set for April 11. 

   
Finally, the state assemblies come after the congressional district assemblies. They must be completed by April 13. The Republican Party's is scheduled for April 6 in Pueblo.  The Democratic Party's state assembly will be conducted virtually on April 13.  Colorado's primary election will be held on June 25. In a presidential election year, the primary election will determine how many of Colorado's delegates are allocated to support each candidate at the conventions. The national party conventions to select presidential nominees will be in July in Milwaukee for the Republican Party, and in August in Chicago for the Democratic Party. 

If no candidate gets a majority of delegates, then the superdelegates — elected officials and party leaders such as Colorado's congressional delegation and Governor Jared Polis — will get to cast a ballot in the second round of voting.  The general election will take place on November. 

 

What happens before the caucus meeting?

 You may be able to pre-register with the Colorado GOP at www.caucus.cologop.org. 

The County Parties facilitate the caucuses. They must: 

-Provide and prepare venues for each precinct caucus. 
-Train PCP’s (Precinct Committee Persons) and volunteers to run each meeting and to manage the larger venues where several precincts will hold their meetings. 
-Create lists of registered Republicans in each precinct for check-in and meeting records. 
-Create packets with meeting instructions, donation envelopes, record-keeping forms, candidate information and proposed resolutions for each precinct. 
-The PCP’s may hold pre-caucus get-togethers for caucus attendees to become acquainted. 
-The county party may be able to provide a walk list for someone who would like to campaign for PCP or Delegate prior to the caucus. (Visit ColoGOP.org and click on Directories to find information about your county party. Consider volunteering!) 

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At the Precinct Caucus, party members talk with their neighbors to begin the process of choosing leadership for their party and representatives for their government. Caucuses are government mandated and regulated meetings, but they are for conducting the private business of the parties. The PCP’s and delegates elected at these meetings will hold legally recognized political positions and will make decisions that will impact Colorado's future. 

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At each Precinct Caucus meeting, these people will be elected:  2 Precinct Committee Persons who: 

• Help determine the leadership team of the County Republican Party for two years by voting in Central Committee elections for officers and Bonus Members. 
• Participate in determining the overall direction of the party by voting on resolutions and bylaws 
• Vote for District Captain, along with other precincts in that district 
• Remain engaged with the County Republican Party and Republicans in their precinct, communicating with them and ensuring that they cast their votes in the general election. 

Delegate(s) and Alternate(s) (The number to be elected is apportioned per precinct) who: 
• (Delegates who don’t attend Assembly are replaced by their Alternates.) 
• Vote to delegate the Republican candidates at County Assembly. 
• Are strongly encouraged to attend corresponding State House District and State Senate District Assemblies and vote to delegate the candidates in those Districts. 
• May run to be a Delegate to their Congressional District Assembly and/or the State Assembly; these delegates will be elected at the County Assembly from amongst the delegates and alternates. 

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Caucus attendees may sign up to be first in line for election judges, or volunteer to be GOP Election Watchers. 

The goal of the Precinct Strategy is to help the Republican Party succeed in three ways by: 

1. Influencing the policies and overall direction of the Republican Party 

2. Deciding who represents the Republican Party when running for public office. 

3. Electing leaders of the Republican Party who truly represent the people.