Democratic Caucuses Set For 44 Idaho Counties Tuesday’S Meetings To Decide Presidential Nominees, Delegates For State Convention
Democrats in 44 Idaho counties meet Tuesday to decide whether to give Al Gore or Bill Bradley the nod for president.
Caucuses will also determine the 382 delegates who will set the party platform at Idaho’s Democratic convention in June. Twenty-three of those delegates will be chosen to represent the state at the national convention in Los Angeles in August.
Unlike Idaho Republicans, who choose their presidential nominee during the May primary, Democrats rely on the caucus system.
“It’s a whole building of energy toward the fall election,” said Marcia Pursley, executive director of Idaho’s Democratic Party. “This is a grass-roots process. They simply need to show up at their county caucus.”
Once at the caucus, participants must sign a pledge saying they are Democrats. They then must choose to support Gore or Bradley, or remain uncommitted.
Those votes are then tallied. Any of the three options that receives less than 15 percent of the vote will be eliminated from discussion. Participants who voted in the minority must shift their allegiance or simply go home.
Delegates attending the state convention can’t change the votes they cast at the county caucus.
Each county elects a different number of delegates, based on population and the number of Democratic voters in past presidential elections.
Kootenai County leads North Idaho with 31 delegates to the state convention; Bonner County chooses 12 delegates; Shoshone County, seven delegates; Benewah County, six delegates; and Boundary County, three delegates.
“The delegates to the state convention adopt a party platform that will be decided at the state convention,” Pursley said. “It’s a chance for Democrats all across the state to network.”
This sidebar appeared with the story:
IF YOU GO
County caucuses
Democratic county caucuses begin across the Panhandle at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the following sites:
Benewah County: county courthouse, St. Maries;
Bonner County: county courthouse, Sandpoint;
Boundary County: courthouse annex, Bonners Ferry;
Kootenai County: Harding Family Center, Coeur d’Alene;
Shoshone County: Wallace jail.