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La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 04:14 PM Apr 2016

Would you support the general elections be held in caucus format

Why or why not?


35 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
Yes, after all there are witnesses
1 (3%)
No, it sounds crazy
26 (74%)
WTF are you talking about?!?
8 (23%)
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Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll
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Would you support the general elections be held in caucus format (Original Post) La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 OP
No bigwillq Apr 2016 #1
Having just done my first caucus here in CO... Ohio Joe Apr 2016 #2
Where's the Absolutely Phucking Not in a Million Phucking Years joeybee12 Apr 2016 #3
hey, i let people call me crazy La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #10
Have you ever been to a caucus? joeybee12 Apr 2016 #15
oh, i'm completely against this idea, but people seem to be pro caucus at du La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #16
I believe you are right...someone does better in caucuses joeybee12 Apr 2016 #18
once this election is over, the democratic party should have a debate La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #21
I agree joeybee12 Apr 2016 #25
then they will support the position that allows their candidate to win La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #27
I'm a very firm Bernie supporter... And he won the CO caucus... Ohio Joe Apr 2016 #38
Lots of times. But they have been Political Party affairs, not general elections. stone space Apr 2016 #52
Thank you! pnwmom Apr 2016 #31
Yes it will give me a chance to ride my horse to town Skink Apr 2016 #4
lol La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #12
No JustAnotherGen Apr 2016 #5
this thread is going more or less exactly as i thought it would go. La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #6
Exactly BainsBane Apr 2016 #7
it's an incredibly messy, time consuming process La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #8
I used to support them BainsBane Apr 2016 #9
yup. it's crazy to expect most people to make such sacrifices to vote La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #11
You make an unproven assumption that we support caucuses just because they favor our choice LostOne4Ever Apr 2016 #44
i didn't say this was true for every DU member. La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #45
At least with a caucus the attempt to steal your vote is more transparent. dogman Apr 2016 #13
there is more than one way to steal a vote La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #17
Greg Palast thinks differently about ballot theft. dogman Apr 2016 #19
how do you think an eighty year old person would do, if she had to caucus all day La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #23
Better than she would do if her vote were flipped. dogman Apr 2016 #26
so better she can't vote at all? La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #54
Yeah, we can see the stealing as it is done. At one precinct, a delegate is worth 10 voters votes. pnwmom Apr 2016 #32
not just no but hades-*NO*!1 UTUSN Apr 2016 #14
agreed La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #42
No, because no matter BlueMTexpat Apr 2016 #20
i agree with you. La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #22
I am not convinced that caucuses provide enough opportunity for .... etherealtruth Apr 2016 #24
agreed La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #28
My state has caucuses and only 5.3% participated in a record setting high. pnwmom Apr 2016 #30
That astounds me :-( etherealtruth Apr 2016 #37
Exactly TNProfessor Apr 2016 #36
Or their jobs La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #50
The caucuses should be completely eliminated and replaced with primaries. So, no. n/t pnwmom Apr 2016 #29
totally agree! nt steve2470 Apr 2016 #33
yes, because voting at all levels should be easier not harder La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #40
I am not against the idea if it's the right format Kalidurga Apr 2016 #34
the caucus results are more transparent, making the theft of electronic votes seem possible J_J_ Apr 2016 #35
I'd prefer paper ballots too shadowandblossom Apr 2016 #62
Not ever Fenris Apr 2016 #39
no arguments from me. La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #41
Good Christ, no. I don't even want them in the nominating stage. Zynx Apr 2016 #43
^ THIS! ^ n/t Aerows Apr 2016 #49
I think private balloting is essential for integrity of the process. Yo_Mama Apr 2016 #46
why would you want a process that is inherently subject to manipulation La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #47
Because it is also good for collaboration/consultation the way it is conducted some places. Yo_Mama Apr 2016 #58
some people also prefer voter id's. La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #60
I'd say no, but that doesn't really reflect my thoughts. Aerows Apr 2016 #48
Caucuses are internal Party affairs. How would a caucus even work in a general election? stone space Apr 2016 #51
some elements of what already exists could be replicated in a two party system La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #53
A caucus is harder to rig but it is also true that only the jwirr Apr 2016 #55
so its ok to disenfranchise voters in the primary, just not in the general? La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #56
You are putting words into my mouth. We were allowed to jwirr Apr 2016 #57
Why anyone in any state would put up with a silly horseshit caucus is beyond me. ileus Apr 2016 #59
No because shadowandblossom Apr 2016 #61
Oh, FFS. A political party can choose its slate of candidates anyway they want to. Whereas madinmaryland Apr 2016 #63
Sounds good. So Far From Heaven Apr 2016 #64
Sort of. I'm intrigued by the idea of the Electoral College doing what it was envisioned doing Recursion Apr 2016 #65
Not just no but hell no Spider Jerusalem Apr 2016 #66
Oh I agree with you La Lioness Priyanka Apr 2016 #68
Caucus format? No, how about Circus Format? JustABozoOnThisBus Apr 2016 #67
 

bigwillq

(72,790 posts)
1. No
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 04:18 PM
Apr 2016

I dislike the caucus format. I work second shift and weekends. Not sure I would ever be able to vote depending on what time the caucus is. I usually vote just before going into work. I like being able to be in and out of the voting booth in a few minutes.

 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
16. oh, i'm completely against this idea, but people seem to be pro caucus at du
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 05:44 PM
Apr 2016

and i hypothesized that this was because their candidate was winning the caucuses. the results of this poll seem to indicate that i was probably right in that assumption

 

joeybee12

(56,177 posts)
18. I believe you are right...someone does better in caucuses
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 05:57 PM
Apr 2016

And even before the whole election shebang started I thought they were a dumb idea, they are not really democratic and a small place like Iowa somehow sets the tone for the next few weeks of the campaign.

 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
21. once this election is over, the democratic party should have a debate
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 06:04 PM
Apr 2016

about caucuses and super delegates.

Ohio Joe

(21,655 posts)
38. I'm a very firm Bernie supporter... And he won the CO caucus...
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 08:40 PM
Apr 2016

I still would have preferred a primary... The whole caucus deal was a wicked waste of time.

 

stone space

(6,498 posts)
52. Lots of times. But they have been Political Party affairs, not general elections.
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 10:12 AM
Apr 2016
Have you ever been to a caucus?


Caucuses can be fun.

 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
6. this thread is going more or less exactly as i thought it would go.
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 05:04 PM
Apr 2016

we only support caucuses when it's our chosen guy/gal winning it. else, we all recognize that it's a giant undemocratic process.

 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
8. it's an incredibly messy, time consuming process
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 05:07 PM
Apr 2016

exactly the opposite of how you would want voting to go

BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
9. I used to support them
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 05:08 PM
Apr 2016

until I worked on GOTV activities are realized how many voters simply are not able to attend.

 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
11. yup. it's crazy to expect most people to make such sacrifices to vote
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 05:09 PM
Apr 2016

which should be simple and stream lined

LostOne4Ever

(9,267 posts)
44. You make an unproven assumption that we support caucuses just because they favor our choice
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 10:24 PM
Apr 2016

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=#009999]I oppose caucuses despite the fact that they have overwhelmingly gone for my choice for the nomination.

And to prove that I am not just now saying caucuses are bad to be a contrarian, here is me saying they need to go before you ever made this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1635172

I prefer a more democratic and transparent methods of electing officials.[/font]

 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
17. there is more than one way to steal a vote
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 05:46 PM
Apr 2016

the way you are pointing out rarely if ever has happened in modern times

the other way is simply to make it hard for people to vote, the way caucuses do

dogman

(6,073 posts)
19. Greg Palast thinks differently about ballot theft.
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 05:59 PM
Apr 2016
http://www.gregpalast.com/ballotbandits/

But 4.3 million votes were never counted
I wrote that a caucus can still be rigged, as we have seen recently, but it is still more transparent.
I believe there should be a National Election Day that would be a mandatory day off with provisions to vote for critical workers.
The state Parties make their own rules so this is something to be done at the State level. As we have seen the establishment prefers status quo. It's the system they have figured out and are comfortable working in.
 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
23. how do you think an eighty year old person would do, if she had to caucus all day
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 06:06 PM
Apr 2016

to get her vote counted?

dogman

(6,073 posts)
26. Better than she would do if her vote were flipped.
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 06:13 PM
Apr 2016

I will repeat again to try and make it more clear, I am not advocating for a caucus, I am merely pointing out that it is more transparent. The goal should be to make ballot voting more secure and transparent. Some of the companies that make these machines make ATMs, I'll bet they have a high standard for accuracy and transparency.

pnwmom

(108,925 posts)
32. Yeah, we can see the stealing as it is done. At one precinct, a delegate is worth 10 voters votes.
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 07:29 PM
Apr 2016

At another, in the same election, a delegate might represent 50 voters. The unfairness is obvious from the git-go.

How wonderful.

BlueMTexpat

(15,349 posts)
20. No, because no matter
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 06:02 PM
Apr 2016

which candidate wins, a caucus is not an expression of the majority of voters, but merely a majority of those who can attend the caucus.

It is another way to suppress voting, IMO. I don't favor caucuses for primaries and NEVER EVER would I support them for the GE. We have enough shenanigans as it is.

etherealtruth

(22,165 posts)
24. I am not convinced that caucuses provide enough opportunity for ....
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 06:06 PM
Apr 2016

... for everyone that want to participate the opportunity to participate.

I have always lived in a primary state (so I do not have any first hand experience) .... but I do not understand how people that work (shift work, weekends etc) can participate, how people with disabilities can easily participate, how people that require babysitters (or eldercare) can easily participate.

On one hand it sounds "kinda' interesting and energizing if you are someone that can participate .... but I would like to see a system where more people can vote and do so in the least burdensome way possible.

pnwmom

(108,925 posts)
30. My state has caucuses and only 5.3% participated in a record setting high.
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 07:26 PM
Apr 2016

So, you're right. They're basically a form of voter suppression -- and intended that way.

Kalidurga

(14,177 posts)
34. I am not against the idea if it's the right format
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 08:12 PM
Apr 2016

The way they are currently done absolutely not. The current way is every state that does them does them differently. In addition to that problem there is a problem in every single state that does them that there is a small window of time to vote in. Another problem at least in Minnesota is that the different parties caucus at different locations.

So, what I would propose is this.

1. In Minnesota we vote by paper ballot and we can leave if we want. Other people stay and conduct the business of the Democratic Party. I propose that all states do this for caucuses let people vote by paper and leave the change I would make is that voting can start very early in the morning and last until the late evening and there is a system where you can send a ballot in early if you have a work conflict.

2. That there are two times that caucusing is done as in there are two shifts for the caucus so more people can participate. This would still give states some savings over having primaries.

3. No more of this stuff where you vote in February and then have to show up again in April to make sure you vote really really counts.

4. Voting day should be like a national holiday only essential workers are required to work so doctors, nurses, bus drivers, etc...

 

J_J_

(1,213 posts)
35. the caucus results are more transparent, making the theft of electronic votes seem possible
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 08:14 PM
Apr 2016

We have no way to verify our current methods with electronic voting or paper ballots with electronic tabulators

The solution is not caucuses for all

The solution is paper ballots hand counted with results posted at the precinct level before they are sent through central tabulators

shadowandblossom

(718 posts)
62. I'd prefer paper ballots too
Wed Apr 6, 2016, 06:18 PM
Apr 2016

you still get ballots designed to be problematic or confusing, you get areas that don't have enough ballots, etc. But the magnitude doesn't seem so bad as what can happen if you have everything computerized.

Fenris

(30,414 posts)
39. Not ever
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 08:47 PM
Apr 2016

Too long, too intimate, past experiences can generally discourage people from participating. Also mixed company with the GOP would be volatile.

Zynx

(21,328 posts)
43. Good Christ, no. I don't even want them in the nominating stage.
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 10:10 PM
Apr 2016

I think the nominees of both parties should represent the views of the broadest base of that party's voters as possible, not just the most ardent fringes of both. A general election held with the same problems would yield such a skewed outcome.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
46. I think private balloting is essential for integrity of the process.
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 10:52 PM
Apr 2016

I also believe that the caucus process is inherently subject to manipulation.

The virtues of it probably outweigh the disadvantages when choosing a nominee, but that is inherently a different process.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
58. Because it is also good for collaboration/consultation the way it is conducted some places.
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 03:57 PM
Apr 2016

I can see why some prefer the caucus format.

 

Aerows

(39,961 posts)
48. I'd say no, but that doesn't really reflect my thoughts.
Mon Apr 4, 2016, 10:56 PM
Apr 2016
Hell no is closer.

FUCK NO probably sums it up, but I try to avoid being vulgar.
 

stone space

(6,498 posts)
51. Caucuses are internal Party affairs. How would a caucus even work in a general election?
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 10:10 AM
Apr 2016

What work would the caucus do?

Would we offer platform planks for the General Election Party?

Candidates for office?

We don't live in a One Party State.

If we did, then perhaps a caucus would make sense.

 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
53. some elements of what already exists could be replicated in a two party system
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 11:33 AM
Apr 2016

1. it could last all day

2. votes could be public

3. we could have speeches from both candidates/their surrogates before the vote

there are definitely ways in which elements of current caucusing could be made in to a general election. It's a terrible idea on both levels, but it could definitely be done.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
55. A caucus is harder to rig but it is also true that only the
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 11:42 AM
Apr 2016

people most interested in politics attend most caucuses. I think they are a good idea for the primary because they are a way of discussing the issues etc that need to be addressed as well as voting.

But in the general I cannot imagine allowing voters to all attend a time limited caucus. I would like to see a way to stop the corruption that is possible when using machines at the polls. Back to paper ballots? But it is people who do the cheating so would they count them?

Our voting system needs reforming.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
57. You are putting words into my mouth. We were allowed to
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 11:59 AM
Apr 2016

but planks into the proposed Democratic Platform at our caucus and the one I proposed was adding a voter mail in rule to allow those who did not have the time to come in to vote also.

Our caucus began registration at 6:30 and voting started at 7:00 going until everyone who was there had voted. The counting started as soon as the voting was done right there in plain sight of all of us.

Many voters came in between 6:30 and 8:00 just to vote. They left because they had to do other things or did not care about the other business. If there was also a mail in that would mean everyone who wanted to vote could.

One of my biggest likes about a caucus system is that we in the party are allowed to work together on party business: voting for county officers, proposing planks for the national party platform, electing the delegates to the first convention and getting to know each other. We also have a system that can be expanded when needed like this year. As soon as the County leaders saw that they did not have enough ballots they started making more paper ballots and they added tables for registration so that the lines would move faster. In a machine operated poll that cannot be done so you have people standing in line to vote until 1:00 in the morning (AZ).

shadowandblossom

(718 posts)
61. No because
Wed Apr 6, 2016, 06:09 PM
Apr 2016

They make it harder for elderly, disabled, and working people to vote. If you're in a community where most people don't agree with you, you could be threatened, pressured, harassed, or fired for being so open about your political beliefs.

madinmaryland

(64,920 posts)
63. Oh, FFS. A political party can choose its slate of candidates anyway they want to. Whereas
Wed Apr 6, 2016, 07:15 PM
Apr 2016

in an election for any office or initiative, voting is a private affair for the voters. Always has been that way. Most, if not all states have laws against campaigning at the voting precincts. Something that we all understand as the privacy to cast one's own ballot, without having to reveal it to anyone. Well, except for the electronic voting thingee's.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
65. Sort of. I'm intrigued by the idea of the Electoral College doing what it was envisioned doing
Thu Apr 7, 2016, 02:50 AM
Apr 2016

and electing a President on its own.

I don't think that's practical, but it's an interesting idea.

 

Spider Jerusalem

(21,786 posts)
66. Not just no but hell no
Thu Apr 7, 2016, 03:04 AM
Apr 2016

Caucuses are undemocratic; they effectively disenfranchise anyone who can't get several hours free to attend, and the lack of a secret ballot is a dealbreaker.

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,283 posts)
67. Caucus format? No, how about Circus Format?
Thu Apr 7, 2016, 06:34 AM
Apr 2016

with jugglers and clowns.

(for me, the answer is "no". I like my absentee ballot method; I don't really enjoy crowds or lines.)

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