Utah Caucus Night: How to Become a Delegate
What is a Precinct Caucus?
A precinct is an area about the size of a few neighborhoods, or 1250 homes. Utah has about 1725 precincts. Citizens throughout the state are invited to attend their precinct caucus (a caucus is a meeting of members of a political party.) During caucus citizens are elected to become delegates to the party conventions (state and county), where the candidates who will represent each political party in the General Election are selected. (Precinct = Neighborhood Caucus)
What is a Delegate?
A delegate is a person elected or appointed to represent others from a specific precinct or neighborhood.
Why Should I Become a Delegate?
Historically if a candidate got 60% of the vote at the convention, they would become the Party’s nominee. If they get less than 60%, the two individuals receiving the highest number of votes go to a Primary Election. With the SB54 compromise it’s not as simple as that anymore but the bottom line is that a candidate receiving over 40% of support at convention will be on the primary ballot. That means that as a delegate YOU will have a strong voice in the selection of who will be the republican nominee or at the very least who will be on the primary ballot. Because very few of Utah’s general election races are competitive – Most of Utah’s State and Federal elected officials are chosen by delegates at convention or in republican only primaries.
Why Should I Become a Precinct Officer?
As precinct chair, you will be able to choose replacement delegates if someone moves or is unable to serve. You will also be able to be in a position to ensure that the caucus is run correctly. As precinct chair you will be on the Central Committee (decision-making body) of the county. The Vice Chair will fill in for the Chair when necessary. In Utah County, and some other counties, the Chair is also both a state and a county delegate, while the Vice Chair is a county delegate. Contact your county party secretary to learn how it is done in your own county.
Summary of Duties
Precinct Officers and Delegates serve for two years. Here is a representative sampling of their duties.
- Chair: Runs the caucus, directs the election in the precinct, nominates state delegates (can appoint a delegate, if needed, to replace someone who has moved, etc.), attends Central Committee meetings (one per calendar quarter), votes on the county party officers and bylaws, may also serve as a state and/or county delegate
- Vice Chair: Supports the Chair and fills in when necessary, attends Central Committee meetings (one per calendar quarter), votes on the county party officers and bylaws, may also serve as a state and/or county delegate
- Secretary: Provide notice of precinct meetings, take minutes, maintain historical documents
- Treasurer: Receive, account, and submit to the party monies collected on Caucus Night
- County delegate: Votes for county officials and for state legislators whose districts lie entirely within the county, attends the county convention (one each year).
- State delegate: Votes for federal officials (Congress, US Senate) and for state officials (Governor, and all other statewide races) and state legislators, whose districts span two or more counties. Attends the state convention.
How to Become a Delegate or a Precinct Officer:
Determine your Voting Precinct
You can identify your voting precinct at: www.vote.utah.gov
Determine Your Neighborhood Precinct Caucus Location
The political parties in each county set the location of your party’s precinct caucus. You may obtain this location from: www.vote.utah.gov
Identify Support
Identify others in your precinct who will attend the caucus and vote for you and other like-minded delegates.
The boundaries of your neighborhood precinct can be obtained from your county clerk.
Potential supporters include: family, friends, and neighbors, and anyone else impressed with your stunning political intellect ;)
Build Your Neighborhood Precinct Team
Plan to bring at least 25-50 supporters from your precinct with you to the caucus. (In some precincts you may need more) If you do not succeed in getting 25-50 supporters, still attend the meeting with as many supporters as possible. You might still be able to be elected as a delegate.
You must also decide whether to be a county delegate, a state delegate, or both. If possible, become both. The state conventions are usually held in late April or May. Our county convention will probably be several weeks earlier.
Register as a Member of Your Party and Register to Vote
Make sure that you and the members of your neighbor-hood precinct team are registered to vote. Voter registration forms can be obtained from your county clerk’s office, or from the Lt. Governor’s web site.
Prepare a Short Persuasive Speech
You may be asked to tell a little bit about yourself and why you would like to become a delegate. Here are some points to keep in mind:
Elements of a Persuasive Speech
Brief background (home, family, community, career)
Party experience (or information that shows you understand what is expected of the position you are seeking) – Be familiar with the party’s platform (found on their website)
Why you are running or want to be involved
Promise to devote the necessary time and to study the candidates before making a decision
Strong conclusion (ask for their vote/support)
Speak from your heart; show energy, enthusiasm, and passion
Emphasize your strengths (What you know/do well
Be concise (no more than two minutes)
Attend the Caucus
Arrive Early (Bring a Photo ID)
Make sure your supporters are there and have ID
Here’s what a sample meeting agenda may look like:
1. Welcome
2. Sign-in/collect email addresses
3. Call to order
4. Pledge
5. Read the Platform
6. Collect Donations/Pledges
7. Elect Precinct Officers
8. Elect State and County Delegates
9. Ask for Election Judges
Voting Procedure at the Caucus
As soon as the caucus host opens the nominations, a supporter may raise his or her hand to nominate you (or you may nominate yourself). If a motion to close nominations comes before you are nominated, calmly stand or raise your hand and say that you wish to be nominated.
A majority is required to elect a delegate or officer. To overcome vote splitting in single-seat elections, insist that the winner receive a majority of the votes cast. If no candidate achieves a majority, or less than the required number of candidates achieve a majority, take additional ballots until the required number of candidates achieve a majority.
If there are fewer positions available than the number of candidates who are tied, additional ballots are taken until the tie is broken.
You may vote for less than the number of available positions (i.e. if there are three positions, you may vote for only one or two candidates). Vote ONLY for those candidates that you want to win.
Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is an analog of multiple-round voting that is done on a single ballot by ranking candidates according to preference: 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. To count these ballots, group them according to first preference, distribute the shortest stack according to second preference (which eliminates the candidate with the fewest number of votes), etc., until you have a majority winner.
Votes should be counted by at least three people: one opens and reads the ballot, one keeps a tally, and one watches the first two to ensure that the correct name is read and that the tally sheet is marked correctly. Others can watch if desired.
Election results should be announced in detail, or so each candidate knows how many votes were cast in his support. This also assures participants that the number of votes counted does not exceed the number of allowed votes.
Voting Procedure at the Caucus
As soon as the caucus host opens the nominations, a supporter may raise his or her hand to nominate you (or you may nominate yourself). If a motion to close nominations comes before you are nominated, calmly stand or raise your hand and say that you wish to be nominated.
A majority is required to elect a delegate or officer. To overcome vote splitting in single-seat elections, insist that the winner receive a majority of the votes cast. If no candidate achieves a majority, or less than the required number of candidates achieve a majority, take additional ballots until the required number of candidates achieve a majority.
If there are fewer positions available than the number of candidates who are tied, additional ballots are taken until the tie is broken.
You may vote for less than the number of available positions (i.e. if there are three positions, you may vote for only one or two candidates). Vote ONLY for those candidates that you want to win.
Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is an analog of multiple-round voting that is done on a single ballot by ranking candidates according to preference: 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. To count these ballots, group them according to first preference, distribute the shortest stack according to second preference (which eliminates the candidate with the fewest number of votes), etc., until you have a majority winner.
Votes should be counted by at least three people: one opens and reads the ballot, one keeps a tally, and one watches the first two to ensure that the correct name is read and that the tally sheet is marked correctly. Others can watch if desired.
Election results should be announced in detail, or so each candidate knows how many votes were cast in his support. This also assures participants that the number of votes counted does not exceed the number of allowed votes.