Jefferson County Democrats
2008 Caucuses
Resolutions at the Caucuses
The Washington State Democratic Central Committee (WSDCC) made a change in how we handle resolutions at the precinct caucuses. This year, as in the past, you may bring resolutions to your caucus, to be given to your PCO. All the resolutions will be collected at each caucus, and then a committee will work on the resolutions to prepare them for the February 26 Generla Meeting at the Port Townsend Community Center. If you would like to be a part of this committee, contact Teri Nomura or Bill Miller.
Your resolution must be in "resolution format", including the following items (we prefer typed resolutions):
A. The title of the resolution must be clearly and concisely stated at the beginning of the resolution.
B. The resolution must contain at least one "WHEREAS" stating the situation to be address by the resolution.
C. The resolution must contain at least one "THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT" stating the action or actions to be taken if the resolution is adopted.
D. The resolution must contain the name of the organization (or person) submitting the resolution and the date it was submitted at the bottom of the resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When are the Precinct Caucuses?
A: Saturday, February 9th at 1:00 PM
Q: Where is MY Precinct Caucus?
A: There are 31 precincts in Jefferson County. We have lined up 8 locations for the precinct caucuses.
- Blue Heron Middle School (701, 702, 703, 704, 705- ALL 5 Port Townsend precincts)
- Port Townsend Community Center (104-Cape George, 105-So. Discovery, 106-No. Jacob)
- Kala Point Clubhouse (304- Kala Point)
- Chimacum Middle School (107-Eaglemount, 301-Chimacum, 302-Center, 303-Hadlock, 305-Irondale)
- Nordland Garden Club (401-Nordland)
- Gardiner Community Center (101-Gardiner 1, 102-Gardiner 2, 103-Gardiner 3, 108-Port Discovery, 600-Hoh, 601-Queets)
- Port Ludlow Beach Club (501-No. Port Ludlow, 502-So. Port Ludlow, 503-Shine)
Quilcene School (109-Crocker Lake, 110-Leland, 200-Coyle 1, 201-Quilcene, 203-Coyle 2, 204-Brinnon, 206-Thorndyke)
Click on these links for the map of the City Precincts, and another for the County Precincts.
Q: Who can participate in the Democratic Precinct Caucus?
A: Anyone may attend. Any registered voter may vote or become a delegate in his or her precinct. It is important to go to YOUR precinct caucus location.
Note: A person who will turn 18 years of age by Nov. 4 (general election) may vote or become a delegate or alternate.
Anyone who wants to vote must sign in declaring that he or she is a Democrat. It is not unusual for Independents to sign in, as Washington does not require voters to declare a party; however we hope that you will continue to vote Democratic. If you sign in as a Democrat at the caucus, you must use a Democratic ballot in the primary (same for Republicans). No person may participate in both the Democratic and the Republican caucus.
Q: Why is there a primary also?
A: Good question. The primary mail-in ballot is due on February 19, 2008. One of the reasons is that the Washington Republicans decided to use 51% of the primary vote AND 49% of their caucus vote toward the selection of delegates. The Washington State Democrats have always used the caucus vote only for selection of delegates and will do so again in 2008.
Q: What will happen at the Precinct Caucus?
A: Generally the PCO (Precinct Committee Officer) will lead the meeting. A Secretary will take minutes, and a Tally Person will add up numbers.
- Participants will sign in on a sheet- including their Presidential candidate preference, including 'Uncommitted' . The tally person will count the number of participants, and the number of delegates allotted to that precinct- and come up with a number of delegates per candidate based on percentage.
- People will cluster in candidate groups then to decide who wants to become a delegate or alternate.
- Everyone will gather together again for a final count, a point where people may switch from one candidate to another.
- We will collect any resolutions that will then be worked on by a 'group' of people, vote on the 'revised' resolutions at our Feb. 26th meeting and then put forward all of the resolutions to the County Convention. Resolutions must be in the correct format.
- We will ask for donations to help with the cost of putting on the caucuses, and ask people to join the Jefferson County Democrats.
Q: What does a delegate or alternate do?
A: Delegates and alternates are chosen to represent a candidate (including 'uncommitted'.) If you offer to become a delegate, you will be expected to attend the County Convention- which will probably be on Saturday morning, April 26. At the County Convention, the delegates and alternates will be winnowed down to a smaller number, who will then go on to the Congressional District Caucus in May (Shelton), and/or the State Convention in June (Spokane). 97 Delegates will ultimately represent Washington State at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August. These are exciting times- consider becoming a delegate!!
Q: What if a voter is in the military, has a religious observance issue, or is disabled-- and cannot attend the caucus?
A: There is a form called Caucus Surrogate Affidavit Form for Religious Observance, Military Service or Disability. Click on this to get the form. Send it in ASAP. Must be in to the Washington Democrats no later than Feb 1st at 5:00 PM. The completed form can be mailed, faxed to 206-583-0301, or a scanned pdf can be e-mailed to saf@wa-democrats.org This is not intended for people who are simply 'out-of-town'.
Q: Can I be a delegate if I am not at my precinct caucus?
A: YES! You can nominate yourself to be a delegate. The simplest way is to click here and use the Declaration of Candidacy form. Must be in to the Washington Democrats no later than Feb 1st at 5:00 PM. The completed form can be mailed, faxed to 206-583-0301, or a scanned pdf can be e-mailed to doc@wa-democrats.org. Unfortunately, you cannot vote at the precinct caucus unless you are present, or have the Surrogate Affidavit Form (see above).
Q: I want to help at the Precinct Caucus. Who should I contact?
A: Area Caucus Coordinators:
- Blue Heron Middle School - Ruth Gordon
- PT Community Center - Catherine McNabb
- Kala Point Clubhouse - Gloria Bram
- Chimacum Middle School - Teri Nomura
- Nordland Garden Club - Lisa Painter
- Port Ludlow Beach Club - Adele Govert
- Gardiner Community Center - Ray Hunter
- Quilcene School - Connie Gallant
To send your coordinator an email, click on this page to find his or her email address: http://www.jeffcodemocrats.com/about.html
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