What’s Happening
CAUCUS 2.0 Sunday, July 20th
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As you know, it is our intention to hold a new caucus in order to ensure that there are Democrats on the ballot for local positions in November. Caucus 2.0 is set for Sunday, July 20. Please come and participate in the last caucus we intend to have as Democrats in Red Hook. (In the future it is our intention to move to a primary system in order to include even more voters.)
Below you will find a caucus guide; as questions come in we will expand this guide. We want everyone to feel included and informed. Caucus is a unique and antiquated way to get folks onto the ballot. Today it feels like an anomaly: a live event where we create the ballot together and then vote together all in one space. Despite what someone may indicate beforehand, anyone could be nominated at the caucus. Anyone might decide to refuse a nomination or not get a second to a nomination. You have to be there to participate. We understand that this creates some limitations, and we will do our best to make this caucus as welcoming as possible.
Where: Red Hook High School Performing Arts Center (Auditorium)
When: Sunday, July 20: doors open at 4:30pm, doors will close at 5:30pm. Any eligible Democrats who are in line at 5:30 will be admitted to the caucus, but you must be in the line by 5:30pm.
Who is this for: This caucus is for any registered Democrat in Red Hook. No other registered voters are permitted to attend.
Purpose: The purpose of the caucus is to appoint three positions to the Democratic line on the ballot in November's general election: Town Clerk, two Town Council (Town Board) positions.
Why will the doors close at 5:30 (or once the line is cleared)?: The doors must close so that we can confirm that all eligible voters have been checked in and that all voters are present to hear who is nominated and seconded, so that they can fill out their ballots. Although folks may indicate they are interested in running, until someone is nominated or seconded, they are not a candidate to be voted on at the caucus. We want to ensure that it is clear for everyone who is there to vote and who has been nominated, so for this reason we are enforcing this common rule among caucuses that voters will be checked in, and then the doors will be closed and no further voters will be admitted.
How do Nominations/Seconds work?: Generally candidates ask someone ahead of time to nominate and second them. Nominators and seconders can have as long as three minutes to speak to the nomination or second. However, nominations and seconds can also happen spontaneously from the floor of the caucus without prior discussion if an attendee is so inspired.
Candidate speeches: Once nominated, candidates may be invited by the chair of the caucus to give a three-minute speech about their candidacy, either before voting if there are multiple candidates, or after approval if there is only one candidate.
Voting: If there aren't multiple candidates, such as occurred with our town clerk in the first caucus, where only the incumbent Deanna Cochran was nominated, the vote will be by voice only after the nomination and second to approve the nomination. If more people are nominated than the number of positions, as occurred at our first caucus for town council positions (three people for two positions) the caucus will use paper ballots which will be submitted to a ballot box after each candidate has spoken. The ballots will be counted by tellers appointed by the caucus chair in a separate chamber, observed by independent observers.
Timing: Once the doors close at 5:30 or soon after (once everyone on line is checked in) the chair will call the caucus to order and appoint tellers and a secretary. We will move through oaths of office for those positions quickly, and move through the following agenda:
nominations for town clerk, vote
nominations for town council, vote
All of the above may take approximately one hour, bringing us to 6:30pm. At our first caucus, the vote count took time, more than an hour. For this reason, once all ballots have been received and secured in the ballot box and have been removed to be counted, we will open the doors and attendees may leave. Attendees are also free to stay. No further people will be admitted to the caucus, no further voting will take place. We will announce the results to any caucus attendees that stay as soon as they are counted, and we will post the results via Facebook, Instagram, and our email list once they come in as soon as possible,
Food: No food or drink (other than water) is permitted in the auditorium. At this time we are not planning on refreshments at this event. Snacks may be permitted in the lobby.
Childcare: Children are welcome at the caucus, but please be mindful that this is an event that is primarily for voters. There will be a spot for babies/toddlers to hang out in that will require adult supervision. Please don't hesitate to bring your baby. A volunteer is working on coordinating a private childcare option offsite for slightly older children, so if this would be helpful to you, please reach out to info@redhookdems.com and we will send you the information.
Please let us know if you have any questions, and we will do our best to answer them: info@redhookdems.com.
Onward!
Red Hook Democratic Committee