![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Making National News
Feb. 14th, 2020 08:51 pmI am quoted today in a news story ultimately sourced from the Washington Post, but available here and elsewhere. One of the two reporters to whom the story is credited tracked me down and asked me about the Nevada caucus. The quotes are about right. Note that I speak only for myself, not for the party, and only about my own experiences, which may not be the same as those of other people.
It does help me personally that I can count instant-runoff/ranked-choice ballots without difficulty, in case there is any need to do so. Caucus math is a type of IRV/RCV. People who voted in advance of the caucus will have their votes first tallied by their first preferences, grouped with those people who caucus in person. After the first grouping, if there are non-viable groups (you need to poll at least 15% to be considered a viable candidate), the second and subsequent preferences will count along with those people who initially caucused for a non-viable candidate. The members of the non-viable groups can either regroup among themselves to form a viable group, or join with other viable groups. ("Uncommitted" is considered a candidate for this purpose.) If you caucused for a viable candidate or if your advance vote is grouped with a viable candidate, no further preferences are necessary, and you stay with your initial group. After the initial round of voting and the redistribution of preferences, you should end up with nothing but viable candidates.
I did sit in on the first of what I expect to be two training webinars today. This one focused on the advance caucus voting. I'll be voting early so that my vote will count in my own precinct without me having to take a partisan position while presiding (assuming my precinct does agree to elect me from Temporary Precinct Chair to Precinct Chair). I also hope that my precinct will send me to the county convention as one of our precinct's delegates. I have no desire to plump for the state or national conventions, however; it conflicts with Westercon and Worldcon.
It does help me personally that I can count instant-runoff/ranked-choice ballots without difficulty, in case there is any need to do so. Caucus math is a type of IRV/RCV. People who voted in advance of the caucus will have their votes first tallied by their first preferences, grouped with those people who caucus in person. After the first grouping, if there are non-viable groups (you need to poll at least 15% to be considered a viable candidate), the second and subsequent preferences will count along with those people who initially caucused for a non-viable candidate. The members of the non-viable groups can either regroup among themselves to form a viable group, or join with other viable groups. ("Uncommitted" is considered a candidate for this purpose.) If you caucused for a viable candidate or if your advance vote is grouped with a viable candidate, no further preferences are necessary, and you stay with your initial group. After the initial round of voting and the redistribution of preferences, you should end up with nothing but viable candidates.
I did sit in on the first of what I expect to be two training webinars today. This one focused on the advance caucus voting. I'll be voting early so that my vote will count in my own precinct without me having to take a partisan position while presiding (assuming my precinct does agree to elect me from Temporary Precinct Chair to Precinct Chair). I also hope that my precinct will send me to the county convention as one of our precinct's delegates. I have no desire to plump for the state or national conventions, however; it conflicts with Westercon and Worldcon.
