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Montana Patriot
01-03-2008, 11:58 PM
Process
The Iowa caucus operates very differently from the more common primary election used by most other states (see U.S. presidential primary). The caucus is generally defined as a "gathering of neighbors." Rather than going to polls and casting ballots, Iowans gather at a set location in each of Iowa's 1784 precincts. Typically, these meetings occur in schools, churches, or public libraries. The caucuses are held every two years, but the ones that receive national attention are the presidential preference caucuses held every four years. In addition to the voting and the presidential preference choices, caucus-goers begin the process of writing their parties’ platforms by introducing resolutions.[1]

Unlike the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, the Iowa caucus does not result directly in national delegates for each candidate. Instead, caucus-goers elect delegates to county conventions, who elect delegates to district and state conventions where the national convention delegates are selected.[citation needed]

The Republicans and Democrats each hold their own set of caucuses subject to their own particular rules that change from time to time. Participants in each party's caucuses must be registered with that party. Participants can change their registration at the caucus location. Additionally, 17-year-olds can participate, as long as they will be 18 years old by the date of the general election. Observers are allowed to attend, as long as they do not become actively involved in the debate and voting process. For example, members of the media and campaign staff and volunteers attend many of the precinct caucuses. Youth who will not be eligible to vote by the date of the general election may also attend as observers and may volunteer to attend the county convention as youth delegates.[2]

Republican Party process
...
In the Republican caucuses, each voter casts his or her vote by secret ballot. Voters are presented blank sheets of paper with no candidate names on them. After listening to some campaigning for each candidate by caucus participants, they write their choices down and the Republican Party of Iowa tabulates the results at each precinct and transmits them to the media.[3] The non-binding results are tabulated and reported to the state party which releases the results to the media. Delegates from the precinct caucuses go on to the County Convention, which chooses delegates to the District Convention, which in turn selects delegates to the State Convention. Thus it is the Republican State Convention, not the precinct caucuses, which select the ultimate delegates to the Republican National Convention in Iowa



If you were elected to a delegate position please post here.
then contact other delegates and develop strategy for the conventions

Hangly Man
01-04-2008, 12:13 AM
hooray, we got a sticky thread!

Montana Patriot
01-04-2008, 12:14 AM
Now where's that dancing banana :D thanks mods

Trigonx
01-04-2008, 12:14 AM
posting to make this BOLDED

IowaSupport
01-04-2008, 12:16 AM
Err....I guess we are checking in on two threads?

Iowa City 19 in Johnson County - I'm the only delegate from this precinct and the alternate is a Ron Paul supporter as well.

noztnac
01-04-2008, 06:06 AM
Iowa's system should be changed immediately.

malibu
01-04-2008, 10:23 AM
Iowa's system should be changed immediately.

Never -

when Ron Paul was in Iowa in April he actually told us that he liked the caucus idea and wished there were more caucus states.

fyi,
All Iowa City precinct 10 delegates went with Ron Paul - with 51.4% in the preference poll that got called in at 7:45pm - and higher percent numbers for the delegate selections.

the lone alternate delegate in IC10 was a Fred Thompson speaker - even though Fred finished third in the precinct with 11.4% of the preference poll behind McCain's 17.1%

McCain shut out from even an alternate here.

nsheedy
01-04-2008, 06:17 PM
Iowa Is Far From Over!!! Very Important For Delegates To Show Up And Get Organized !

The voting that occured at the Iowa caucuses Thurday is NOT BINDING!!!

The Iowa GOP website has this to say:
"The results of this caucus activity on both the Republican and Democratic sides are not binding on the elected delegates, but the delegates usually feel obligated to follow the wishes expressed by the caucus-goers. Thus the initial caucus results provide a good barometer of the composition of Iowa’s national delegation, keeping in mind the effect that candidates’ withdrawals can have right up to convention voting time."
see: http://www.iowagop.net/inner.asp?z=4

Wikipedia reads:
"The Iowa caucus is an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa elect delegates to the county convention to which their precinct belongs in a caucus. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99 conventions. These county conventions then select delegates for both Iowa's Congressional District Convention and the State Convention, which eventually choose the delegates for the presidential nominating conventions (the national conventions)."

THE DELEGATES WHO WERE CHOSEN ARE WHAT IS IMPORTANT!

Delegates from precincts do not have to declare which candidate they support. But they need to attend their County Convention where other delages will be chosen to go to District and State conventions, and eventually the delegates for the National Convention. Iowa will have 40 Republican National Convention delegates. NONE OF THESE DELEGATES HAVE BEEN SELECTED YET!!!

That being so, it is VERY important that the RON PAUL supporters who were chosen to be delegates for their precinct commit to this duty. THESE DELEGATES NEED TO SHOW UP and try to keep advancing to the county, district and state levels.

Here's a link where you can click on a county and get information about when and where delegates will meet for the next rounds.
http://www.iowagop.net/countycontacts.asp


What Happens Next?

On MARCH 1st, delegates that were selected at the precinct caucuses move on to a county convention (there are 99 counties in Iowa) where a sub-set of delegates is selected to attend the District Conventions, and then the State Convention.

The State Convention won't be held until June 14th, and that is where the delegates are selected who will attend the National Convention.

It is important that precinct delegates are informed about the process and SHOW UP to their County Conventions on March 1st!!!

NOTE: There are thousands of precincts in Iowa, and thousands of delegates from these precincts need to show up at the 99 county conventions where a hundreds of delegates will be choosen to attend the district conventions, and then on to the state state convention. Eventually, 40 delegates will be choosen to represent Iowa at the national Convention. Whoever is reporting that any national delegates are have been pledged at this point is mistaken. District Delegates haven't even been selected at the County Level yet!!!

THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT PRECINCT DELEGATES ARE RON PAUL SUPPORTERS SO THEY KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO STAY ENGAGED, SHOW UP AT THIER COUNTY CONVENTIONS AND VIE FOR DISTRICT DELEGATE POSITIONS!!!

IDefendThePlatform
02-10-2008, 11:44 PM
Can RP supporters who aren't delegates (like myself) go to the county conventions to vote?I'd like to help other RP supporters who are delegates get to the next level, district conventions.