A chaotic caucus in a suburb of the Twin Cities

[question everything]

There were 110 votes casted, Obama won 60 of them.

The way it was, people entered the room, and if their names were not on the list of the previous caucus attendees, and, I would say, 90 did not, they just filled their names and addresses on a separate paper, were given a piece of paper to write their preference, put it in a bucket and then left.

No one checked for names, addresses, party affiliation... For all I know some could have voted in one room and then came to ours to vote again. For all I know some could have come from Iowa to vote again.

But, hey, Obama won.

Just as a comparison, four years ago, same precinct, there were 24 of us.

I don't know if anyone checks the name and addressed but if there are frauds then, what? How do you know for whom they voted?

Give me a primary any day.

[xmas74]

1. A friend in KS stated that the caucus there was true chaos.

He said that he has no idea where the numbers came from, since they don't match at all.

[beyurslf]

12. I am in KS. They expected 300 at my location and had 850 show up.

This is a very red state senate district. I heard that our caucus last year had a statewide turnout of 1500. It was after Kerry was already the nominee, but the turnout here was amazing.

[Wickerman]

2. The Minnesota Caucuses were intentionally very different this year

compared to 2006. The idea was, as I understood from precinct captain training, to encourage participation. It certainly worked in my precinct. In 2006, when the caucusing really had no meaning at all, we had 9. This year we had about 70. We combined 5 precincts in one room (many rural with delegates sent to County between 2 and 5) and totaled 100. We've NEVER seen numbers like that. We will also send about 30 of those on to County. In recent years we never had more than 5 go up.

I loved it. It's a caucus - it's certainly as valid as any of the arm twisting and dealing that happened way back when.

The Obama campaign certainly didn't design the system and I certainly don't think, from my experience, there is any evidence either candidate benefited from the system. The DFL as a party made great strides tonight, however.

[question everything]

3. Right, the Obama campaign did not design this

but still, it was chaotic, no one checked for the credentials of the voters and... he won.

[Wickerman]

5. ok, can't argue with that logic n/t

[RL3AO]

4. We ran out of ballots and voted on post-it notes here in Red Wing.

[Wickerman]

6. we ripped up paper

We had a ton of people who stayed for the business end of the caucus. Never have seen a turnout like that.

[RL3AO]

8. 523% increase over the last caucus (2006 or 2004, not sure when)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. We ran out of ballots and voted on little cut-up squares of scratch paper.

People were standing in line out the door and halfway down the block by 7:00 (Minneapolis).

[question everything]

13. We did not have any ballots!

Only small cut-up squares of papers. Same as it was in 2004..

And we ran out of those, too.. Someone had to run to find some more.

[cynthia]

9. long lines at my caucus

we didn't get everyone in and registered until 7:45 and we had a total of 478 voters.

I left after our caucus finished to meet my friend at her precinct and there was a line down the block at hers. They didn't get everyone in and registered until about 8:30. But the rules say, if you are in line at 8:00, you get to vote.

It was a great turnout.

[calmblueocean]

10. Same thing in Eagan. Ran out of ballots, voting on ripped paper. Major traffic jam outside.

It took me over an hour to drive the mile or so to my caucus and finally park. Cars were parked on both sides of several side streets, and with the snow, each two lane street turned into 1 1/2 lanes and no one could get through. It was crazy. I'm sure hundreds of people just said, "Forget this!" and drove off long before they even got close to the school.

They ran out of ballots there, too, and couldn't find my name on the list, even though I'd caucused in the same precinct in 2004. I was really disappointed in having to write my choice on a scrap of paper like a junior high kid passing a note. Most people stayed in the room, and in the end we had something like 167 votes for Obama, 64 votes for Clinton, 4 votes for Edwards, and 2 votes for Uncommitted.

The DFL precinct chair was very nice, and so was everyone helping him, but the overall mood was just chaos. The worst part was that they signed up delegates to determine our senate nomination very early in the evening, and then never repeated any information about it as the night went on and other voters came and went. I was so caught up in the bustle, I almost forgot to ask about it myself. I was halfway out the door before I came to my senses, walked back, and asked them what happened to the senate vote. They signed me up as a delegate then, but lots of people simply never got a real chance to express their vote for senate nominee preference, and that's a big deal to me.

I know we blew the doors off in terms of what they expected for turnout, and I know that when you have a volunteer grassroots democracy, you often get what you pay for. Like most people, I've been avoiding the drudgery of low-level volunteer work for the party, but I'm definitely rethinking that tonight.

[CreekDog]

11. They have to end caucuses and begin secret ballot primaries

Caucuses are quaint at this point, they may or may not be professionally run.

And the secret ballot is necessary too.

[calmblueocean]

14. Kick for any more Minnesota caucus reports :-)

I like hearing them.