The first in an ongoing series leading to the General Election Nov. 8, 2016
Caucus vs. primary
Eryn Brennan
In Motion Staff Writer
With the presidential primary season officially upon us, it is impossible to turn on the TV without hearing political pundits talking about which candidate is ahead in the polls in the Iowa Caucus or New Hampshire Primary, and what it means for their chances of getting their party’s nomination.
While the seemingly endless speculation can be overwhelming at times, it does raise two questions students who may be new to voting might not know the answers to: what is a caucus as opposed to a primary; and most importantly, why should voters care about these differences?
“You should care about those differences because it informs you on how to participate. If you don’t know how to participate, then your voice doesn’t count,” says Daytona State College Political Science professor Dr. Harold “Trey” Orndorff.
Basically, having an understanding of how the system works is key before deciding which candidate to vote for.
Dr. Orndorff explains that members of each political party in states that have a caucus get together with other party members at a certain time and place all over the state to vote on which candidate should get their party’s nomination. Iowa is the first caucus of the election season.
“In a caucus, party members meet in a structured setting to select delegates to nominate a candidate. It keeps going, your town selects delegates, your region, and it works its way up to the state,” he explains.
The party members discuss which candidate should get the nomination, with some people making speeches for the candidate that they support. Then, they vote by raising their hands or breaking up into smaller groups according to whom they support. Ultimately, whichever candidate has the most delegates wins the party’s nomination.
So what is the main difference between that and a primary?
“Primaries are when the public votes who gets the nomination, so it’s a generalized vote,” says Dr. Orndorff.
Primaries are also conducted by secret ballot in an election, rather than an open meeting.
“There are lots of different kinds of primaries, but two main ones: the open and closed primary,” Dr. Orndorff explains.
In an open primary, anyone can vote regardless of their political affiliation. In a closed primary, voters must vote in the party in which they are registered. So, a registered Republican can only participate in a Republican primary and a registered Democrat can only participate in a Democratic primary. Florida uses a closed primary.
“You should care what’s happening in other states and their rules so you can get a sense of what’s happening in the environment so you know who is a viable candidate,” explains Dr. Orndorff.
There are only a handful of states that still use the caucus, Iowa being one of them. Most states have switched to using a primary.
“The caucus is the older of the two, but today it is rare,” says Dr. Orndorff.
Florida’s Presidential Preference Primary Election is March 15.