Twice last week people had this to say: “I was asked [by Candidate X] to be a caucus coordinator; what’s a caucus?”  I’ve attended a few, so I have some idea of what happens at local Democratic party caucuses.

 

The story begins at the state Democratic convention which this year will be at the DCU Center in Worcester on Friday evening, June 3, and all day Saturday, June 4.  At that convention, delegates vote to nominate candidates for all major offices that will be on the ballot in next fall’s primary election.  This year these offices are governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor.  Besides nominating a single candidate for each of these offices, the convention also eliminates what might be called “minor” candidates for these offices.  To appear on the primary ballot, a candidate for one of these offices must first obtain the necessary number of signatures on nomination papers (usually it’s 10,000 signatures for these offices) but must also receive the votes of at least 15% of the delegates at the party’s nominating convention.  If a candidate fails to gain that 15% threshold, the candidate may not appear on the ballot in the fall.  At the convention there are multiple ballots and shuffling of support once a candidate reaches 15% and a bunch of other rules and tactics that I don’t fully understand, but suffice it to say that anyone running for any of these major offices will be extremely concerned about getting as much delegate support as possible at the convention.  This year will be particularly interesting because the incumbents in many of these offices – Tim Cahill as Treasurer, Joe Denucci as Auditor, and possibly Martha Coakley as Attorney General – will not be seeking reelection which will lead to a flock of new candidates seeking these offices.

 

So who are the delegates to this nominating convention?  Some elected officials and those holding leadership positions within the Democratic Party are automatically delegates, but most delegates are elected at local caucuses that are held across the state during the month of February.  In most towns, there’s a single caucus but in a city the size of Lowell each ward holds its own caucus.  Over the past decade, however, the ward caucuses have all taken place at the same time and at the same place.  In 2006, for example, the Democratic party caucus in Lowell was held at the Lowell Senior Center on a Saturday afternoon.  Each ward has a set number of delegates and some alternates.  A typical ward in Lowell, for example, might have two male delegates, two female delegates, and single alternates of each gender.

 

To become a delegate, you must be elected by the members of your ward at that ward caucus.  Anyone who is a registered Democrat is eligible to vote in the caucus (and to be elected as a delegate).  Once everyone is “checked-in” (which means your name is checked against a printout of registered Democratic voters), you congregate in the corner of the room designated as your ward’s caucus area.  The chairperson of each ward’s Democratic Ward Committee runs the election.  The first step is to take nominations for delegates from caucus attendees.  Once all names have been placed in nomination, a vote takes place using secret paper ballots.  The ward chair then tabulates the results and the top finishers are elected as delegates and alternates.

 

During “off years” meaning years other than a gubernatorial election year, it’s tough to find enough people to fill the entire slate of delegates.  But in a year such as this, there will be considerable competition to be elected as a delegate.  Well organized campaigns will have their “caucus coordinators” line up dozens of registered Democrats to attend the caucus to ensure that enough delegates committed to vote for that candidate are elected.  Negotiations among the various factions are common.

 

If you’re elected as a delegate, you get to pay a $75 fee to spend 12 hours on a Saturday in June inside the DCU Center, sitting around mostly, and voting a dozen or so times.  If that sounds like fun, you should consider running for delegate.  Even if that’s not for you, you might want to participate in the caucus.  In either case, check back here for more news and updates about the upcoming caucus and convention.  (And if any of our Republican friends care to submit parallel information about their party’s convention, please do so and we’ll post that, as well).