Since 1972 Iowa has been the first state in the country to hold it's political party caucuses. The caucuses are seen as the first major event in the electoral process for the US Presidency. Iowa Republicans and Democrats have just agreed to hold the caucuses on a Saturday afternoon. This is a big deal. I'll tell you why in a moment.
Iowa's caucuses traditionally have been held on Thursday nights, Utah's on Tuesdays but otherwise they are somewhat similar, they are held in neighborhood homes, schools, and other similar locations. These people elect delegates who then go on to represent their neighbors in their various county and state party conventions.
One of the biggest criticisms of these types of caucuses is that people who have to work, have children, are serving in the military, or otherwise occupied on a Thursday/Tuesday night cannot attend. These meetings can often run up to two hours making it difficult for many people to stick it out to the end. So what happens is that only those who are "super" motivated will attend and ultimately become delegates.
If a candidate garners 60% of the delegate vote at a county convention they forgo a Primary election. It's common for many of our elected officials to be elected at county conventions, avoiding a Primary and because of the GOP dominance in Utah they are more often than not all but guaranteed election in the general election come November.
In Utah, the common way of thinking suggests that the most extreme members of the two parties attend these events and subsequently become delegates. So the logic follows: extreme delegates elect extreme elected officials.
Extreme may be a bit too strong, but in the State GOP most educated observers will concede that the delegates are generally more conservative than the greater electorate. But given the process by which they are elected (on one single Tuesday night in March) is it really a surprise?
So I see the Iowa shift as a positive example for Utah to follow. Those in power have little incentive to shake up the status quo, but if we are intellectually honest promoters of democracy I believe we should make these meetings more accessible to more voters. (On a side-note, ever wonder why the Republicans always oppose "motor voter" registrations? You know, allowing folks to register when they renew their drivers licenses? It's because they think the more average folks are more likely to register as Democrats).
Is Saturday the best day? I'm not sure. Our caucuses used to be on Monday nights and were generally better attended, but given the traditional observance of the LDS family home evenings held on Monday there was pressure to move it to Tuesday. I actually think it would be a great family activity. What better way to introduce your children to the electoral process than watching their parents actively participate?
Monday, Saturday, I don't really care but if we truly want a representative democracy let's make these events more accessible.
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