About Caucus Night
Neighborhood Caucus is the bi-annual meeting of a party precinct where neighbors elect new precinct leaders and precinct delegates who reflect the values of the neighborhood and the Democratic party. Precinct leaders promote the party and coordinate party efforts within the precinct, such as voter registration, get-out-the vote drives, and planning the next Neighborhood Caucus.
Precinct Delegates work on behalf of the precinct to review and vet party candidates for public office, then vote with other delegates to bring the best two candidates in each race to the party primary.
Before Caucus Night
Verify you are registered to vote and your registration is up to date. To participate in Caucus Night you must be registered to vote, but you do not need to be registered as a Democrat. If you are not registered to vote, go to the vote.utah.gov to register, or update your registration. You must be a US Citizen, and 18 by the day of the General Election to register. If you have recently moved, update your address on your registration at vote.utah.gov, so your registration shows the correct precinct. If your voter registration marked as WITHHELD (which keeps your registration from the party), plan on extra time and hassle to verify your registration, because the precinct will have no record of you. Lookup your voter registration on vote.utah.gov so you can show it to the check-in volunteer at you caucus.
Find out what precinct you live in, and where your Neighborhood Caucus Night will be held. Your Precinct, similar to a large neighborhood, is a specific area, and Democrats from that area come together for a Caucus Meeting. To identify your House District and Precinct, use this site. https://slco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=87ffaa74b2f3406fbc3b84fb7d34381e
Learn about the precinct positions you will be voting on. Precinct Members will be voting to elect: Precinct Chair Precinct Vice-Chair Delegate(s) Each of these roles has important responsibilities to ensure the voice of your precinct is represented at the County Party and State Party.
Decide what position to run for. Serving in a precinct position is a serious responsibility. Neighbors are counting on those elected to do their job. And they need them to do the WHOLE job, not just the exciting parts. As you consider running for a precinct position, make sure you can commit the necessary time, and have the availability to attend the required meetings for your selected position. Precinct Leadership positions (Chair, Vice-Chair) have year round duties and commitments that vary, but do most of their work leading up to the next Neighborhood Caucus Night. Precinct Delegates start sprinting the day after Caucus, and keep going until the Nominating Convention, in 3-4 weeks time. They have a short period of time to attend meet & greets and cottage meetings, listen to debates, and to meet and vet numerous candidates across multiple races. While most of their work is done when the Nominating Convention ends, they still need to attend the Organizing Convention a year later to elect new party leaders.
Learn about the candidates that are running for precinct positions. Find out who is running for precinct positions by visiting your precinct Facebook group/page, or asking friends and neighbors, or your Precinct Chair. Learn about what principles and values are important to them. What are their thoughts on the Party Platform, and do they support it? Why they are running for a position? Are they committed to putting in the time and work to do the role properly? Will they attend all the meetings and conventions that are expected of them? Has a specific candidate asked them to be a delegate for them?
If you want to be a Precinct Officer or Delegate, announce you are running! Let precinct members know you are running. Here are some ways you can do that: Post it to your precinct Facebook Group/Page Call, Text or email the neighbors and friends you know. DO NOT post to social media areas that are not intended for political purposes, or include a broader audience than your precinct members. You don’t want to upset people that may otherwise vote for you. When you communicate with your neighbors, be sure to let them know: What position you are running for Why you decided to run That you will fulfill all the duties and commitments of the position The principles and values that you stand for Any specific issues that are of a concern to you
Caucus Night Information
Caucus Night Schedule *This is an example schedule and your precinct may use a schedule that is a little different. 6:00 pmCheck-in & Credentialing – Only registered voters who live in the House District will be admitted. Open mingling and discussions with precinct candidates 7:00 pmOfficial Caucus Meeting begins! Precinct Elections – Each Precinct will meet to elect a Precinct Chair, Precinct Vice-Chair and or Delegate(s) depending on how many Democrats live in the Precinct. 8:00 Meeting Ends
What to bring with you? To make the most of Caucus Night, please bring the following items: Government Photo ID Your must verify who you are registered to vote to participate. Pen or Pencil Notebook
Want to be a Precinct Officer or Delegate? Arrive Early! Plan to arrive at 6 pm so that you can talk to as many neighbors as possible. The more neighbors you can talk to, the better your chances are to getting elected.